Sun and Moon
by Living to Laugh and Love
Summary: Sasuke isn't sure what to expect when a new kid moves in next door but it definitely isn't the near-instant connection that forms between them. He wants to know the blond boy with the bright smile who seems to wear his heart on his sleeve. Uchihas always get what they want. AU. SasuNaru/NaruSasu.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"He fakes left! He fakes right! He shoots past the defence and—"

"His old man intercepts! Ha!" Minato grinned gleefully as he grabbed the basketball from his son and quickly made his way to the basket, shooting and letting out a triumphant whoop when the ball sank into the basket. "And he scores!"

"Aw man!" Naruto bent over, resting his hands on his knees, breathing hard, "I thought I had you."

"You have a long way to go, young grasshopper." Minato reached over to ruffle his son's hair, making the seventeen-year-old snort and shove him away, "Yeah, yeah. You're sure this school has a decent basketball team right?"

Minato nodded, "They're supposed to be the best in the Land of Fire."

"Well, that's at least something." Naruto sighed, sitting down in the driveway-cum-court, looking up and down the silent street lined with big houses with wide driveways and well-kept front lawns.

Minato dropped a hand onto his son's shoulder and squeezed, "I'm sorry, kiddo."

Naruto looked up and scrunched his nose, "Don't be stupid, old man. You have nothing to be sorry about. I'll adjust, I always do."

Minato smiled, his expression tinged with sadness, "I know you do, but I didn't want to do this in your final year of high school. Starting at a new school now…"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto scoffed, dislodging Minato's grip and standing, a wide grin on his face, "It's a challenge, and we all know I love challenges!"

Minato's smile turned fond, his blue eyes warming with love as he reached out and slung an arm around his son's shoulder, pulling him close, "I love you, kiddo."

Naruto chuckled, his entire being shining with warmth, "I know that."

"NARUTO!"

Both men froze and slowly turned their heads up to face what was going to be Minato and Kushina's new room, "What are you doing down there?! I thought I asked you to unpack your room! You only have the rest of the weekend and then school starts. If you think I'm going to unpack your things for you…" The fiery redhead who was Naruto's mother let the words hang threateningly, making her son swallow.

"Mom, I swear I was in my room unpacking like a good son and then Dad came up with the basketball! He asked me to—"

"Oi!" Minato reached out to hit his son on the back of his head but Naruto danced out of reach, laughing, "I thought you said you loved me?"

"Not enough to take the rap for this, kiddo. Go up to your room!" Minato tried to pull off the stern parent thing but in mere seconds he and his son were in splits, and Kushina shook her head helplessly, unable to help the smile that curved her lips.

"You two." Kushina chided, a look of fond exasperation on her face, "Get your asses back in the house and help me unpack!"

"Yes, boss!" Both blonds saluted the redhead before making their way to the house, Minato leading. Just as he was about to move past the garage and out of sight of the neighbouring house, something compelled Naruto to glance to his right. Blue eyes locked with black and Naruto blinked, pausing to take in the boy who apparently lived next door. He seemed to be the same age, but there the similarities ended. He was pale-skinned, black bangs falling on either side of his intense eyes and between them, leaving his gaze clear. The hair seemed to stick out somewhat strangely in the back; it would have looked absurd on anyone else, but on this boy it seemed to work. He was dressed in a v-neck long sleeved blue t-shirt over dark jeans; from what Naruto could tell he was fairly tall, and of lean build.

"Alright, kiddo?" Minato called back, frowning at the way his son had stopped moving, following his line of sight to the young boy next door. Naruto didn't seem to hear him, instead he flashed a smile at the other boy who seemed taken aback by the action. Hesitant, and clearly uncertain, the boy managed a small smile back before turning his head away as if being called by someone further inside his home.

"I'm alright." Naruto said suddenly, letting Minato know that he had indeed heard him. He began making his way to the front door once more, and Minato could see there was a certain lightness to his step that hadn't been there before, "I have a good feeling about this place."

Minato smiled, stepping to the side to let his son go in before glancing to the neighbouring house window once more. The boy was still there, but his head was turned and he was talking to someone standing behind him, out of sight. A good feeling, huh? Minato looked up at the orange sky and closed his eyes, listening to the leaves rustle in the wind. Konoha. Maybe it was finally time to stop and call this place home.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha had heard the moving van come by earlier that day, and while he and Itachi ate lunch, he had heard a car pull into the driveway next door. When he'd asked Itachi about it his brother had told him about the Namikaze family of three, made up of a father, mother and son who was Sasuke's age and likely to join his school this year.

"Minato Namikaze is a highly respected political campaign manager, and he's well-known in all of the Great Nations. I think he's behind Gaara Subaku's election as Kazekage, and was supposedly in charge behind-the-scenes of Tsunade Senju's election as well." Itachi explained as ate.

"Why is he here now though? Tsunade was elected only four years ago; she has a good ten years in her at least, I'll bet." Sasuke pointed out, frowning slightly.

"Well, I can't be 100% sure about this, but I think it's because her right-hand man recently passed away. She must have asked Namikaze to step into the role."

"Is our business affected by any of this?" Sasuke asked, raising a single brow.

Itachi shook his head, "We provide security for the Land of Fire. Our men are the best trained and most respected guardsmen in the entire nation. Tsunade isn't looking to break our contract with the country, and knowing what I do of Namikaze, I'll bet he will support that decision. That's not to say he won't be giving us the once over to make sure we're the best."

"Well, he isn't going to find any problems there. You run the business extremely well, and you pick only the most qualified people to train with us." Sasuke said, pride evident in his voice as he spoke of his elder brother.

Itachi smiled, it was a rare sight to see usually but not so much around his younger brother, "Well, since you've said so, I guess it must be true."

Itachi had disappeared back into his study after lunch, leaving Sasuke to his own devices. The younger Uchiha had been playing video games in the living room when he had heard it, the sound of a basketball hitting the court. He paused his game and quickly made his way to the window, his curiosity getting the best of him. He'd expected to see the son outside, but was stunned to see the father there as well. From all Itachi had told him about Minato Namikaze, he'd expected a refined older man with a somewhat stern face and formal aura, like his own father. The man laughing and teasing his teenage son as they fought over the basketball was a big surprise. Without realising it, Sasuke watched them interact once the match was done, his attention and interest slowly shifting from the elder Namikaze to his son.

The boy seemed to be an interesting bundle of contradictions. In the span of fifteen minutes Sasuke watched his expressions shift from competitive to playful, contemplative, serious, determined and…that last expression the boy had given his father. Sasuke couldn't fully comprehend it but in that minute, he wanted to have that expression directed at him. Such a raw display of genuine love and affection, it was something Sasuke hadn't ever seen before. He knew Itachi loved him, he knew it with every fibre of his being, he knew it in his very bones; but Itachi, like Sasuke, had grown up in pure Uchiha fashion which required for a certain amount of restraint to be placed on their emotions. His elder brother had only ever voiced his love once, and that was just before his parents' funeral. He had knelt before an eight-year-old Sasuke and sworn that he would take care of his little brother, that everything would be fine, that Itachi would always love him. So yes, he knew he was loved, but to see that love displayed so clearly on someone's face was a novelty.

"NARUTO!"

Sasuke jumped, shifting his gaze to the house to see the woman standing at one of the windows on the first floor. She was redheaded and clearly annoyed with the two in the driveway. Naruto. Sasuke looked back at the blond teenager who seemed to be trying to talk his way out of trouble, the name somehow fit. He watched the two in the driveway begin to make their way into the house and narrowed his gaze contemplatively on the boy…on Naruto. Suddenly blue eyes shot up to meet his gaze and Sasuke froze, unable to look away. He watched Naruto study him for a long moment, before the blond's face split in a warm, friendly grin, his blue eyes lighting up with it. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise, not having expected the smile. It wasn't the expression he wanted, but it was a start he supposed. He wanted to know this boy, he wanted to be his friend; Sasuke was more sure of that than he had been of anything before in his life. His facial muscles were unused to it, but he managed a small smile back before he heard Itachi call his name softly.

He turned back, his slight smile remaining on his face, "Yeah?"

Itachi's eyes took in the curved lips and shifted quickly out the window to see what had caused it. He noticed the blond teenager who moved out of sight and pursed his lips contemplatively. "What was all that noise?"

It was Sasuke's eyes that lightened now, his amusement evident in his tone as he spoke, "Our neighbours are entertaining to watch." Was the only explanation the younger Uchiha offered, his eyes darting back outside, lingering on where the blond had been.

Itachi pondered that for a minute before suggesting casually, "It's a bit late today, but do you want to go over and welcome them to the neighbourhood tomorrow morning? We could ask them over for lunch; it would benefit me to establish contact with Namikaze in an informal setting."

No one else would have noticed the change in Sasuke's expression, but Itachi did. "Sure, whatever. I guess we could." He said, shrugging.

"It's settled then. Come on, dinner should be ready." Itachi reached out and poked Sasuke on the forehead with his pointer and middle fingers.

Sasuke hissed, more out of surprise than pain, his eyes widening slightly. His brother hadn't poked him like that since they had been eight and thirteen. "Itachi?" He asked, confusedly.

"Hurry up, little brother. We don't want the food to get cold."

* * *

 **My first SasuNaru/NaruSasu fic :) I absolutely LOVE these two and I hope my story does justice to their complex relationship. Yes, as you noticed Itachi, Minato and Kushina are all alive and kicking - I thought it was a total pity how, in the show, you realise what amazing characters they are only after they're dead!**

 **Leave a review! I'll try updating the fic as regularly as possible - it's already mostly written :)**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

Naruto was not a morning person. He liked sleeping in, curled up in his cocoon of blankets, warm and comfortable. He liked waking up gradually, first hearing the sounds around him, then stretching his limbs before finally opening his eyes. So when he bolted upright the next morning at nine o'clock, he felt befuddled and disoriented. What the hell had woken him up? His mom knew to let him sleep in, especially since he'd stayed up till the early hours of the morning unpacking his things. He frowned, yawning and stretching. For whatever reason, he was properly awake now and he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

The doorbell rang and his eyebrows furrowed. Who could that possibly be? They didn't know anyone here except for Gran, and he doubted she'd show up at their house so early on a Saturday morning. An image of dark hair, pale skin and black eyes flashed through his mind and Naruto immediately bolted out of bed. He quickly brushed his teeth and pulled on a t-shirt, now able to hear his mother speaking to someone at the door. Not sparing a thought for how ridiculous his behaviour was, Naruto dashed down the stairs, tripping on the last one since he wasn't quite used to them yet. He heard his mother's shout of concern, and braced himself for impact with the floor, but it never came. Slightly calloused hands gripped his shoulders, steadying him, and he let out a sheepish chuckle as he stepped back, expecting to see the boy from yesterday when he looked up. His eyebrows furrowed slightly and he felt a bizarre sense of disappointment when he realised he had been wrong. His visitor was not who he had expected. Naruto gave the stranger a quick once-over and deduced that he had to be related to the boy he had seen yesterday.

Black eyes were just as intense as the other boy's had been, but this man was older, his skin a shade darker and hair straight and long, tied back in a low ponytail. He was just a bit taller than Naruto, and offered the blond a slight smile not unlike the one he'd received yesterday. "Naruto, I presume."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Whoa, wait, how do you know my name?"

"My brother and I heard your mother scolding you yesterday." The man explained, his voice low, tone polite and pleasant, "I'm Itachi Uchiha."

Brother. That must have been who he saw yesterday, Naruto concluded. Before he could say anything Kushina hit him on the back of his head and he groaned, his hand going back to rub the spot, "What the hell, Mom?"

"Language. What the hell were you thinking barrelling down the stairs like that?! You could have been hurt!"

Naruto managed not to roll his eyes. Only his mother would scold him for language and then use the same language directed at him. "I was just excited to meet the neighbours I guess." He looked up to meet Itachi's gaze, noting how observant it was, "I think I saw your brother yesterday evening. He's my age, right?"

"Sasuke will be a senior at Konoha High this year." Itachi confirmed, "The invitation is from both of us, I discussed it with him last night. He isn't really a morning person though, so he's still in bed."

Naruto perked up slightly, "Invitation?"

"Itachi and his brother have invited us over for lunch today. Isn't that nice of them?" Kushina said, grinning widely.

Naruto grinned as well. He didn't know why but he'd felt a kinship with the boy as soon as he'd locked gazes with him the day before. He wanted to know him, be his friend, and this seemed to be the first step towards that. "We're going, right?"

"Of course we are." Minato appeared from the kitchen, smiling warmly, "What time would you like us over, Itachi?"

"Around noon? The cook comes in at eleven thirty so the meal should be ready by half past twelve. This way we will have time for introductions." Itachi said, directing his words to Minato, but keeping his eyes on Naruto.

"Sounds awesome!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning, "We'll be there!"

Itachi chuckled. It wasn't hard to see why this boy had sparked his brother's interest. He was Sasuke's opposite, the warm and cheerful sun to his dark and silent moon. Itachi could tell that Naruto was going to impact the Uchihas' lives in ways they would not be able to quite comprehend yet. "We look forward to seeing you all then." He said, nodding to Minato and smiling at Kushina before leaving the house. He went straight to his study when he got home, waiting till eleven before going up to wake his brother.

Sasuke grumbled, turning over and smothering his face in his pillow, "Go away."

"Sasuke, the Namikazes will be here in an hour. I need you to be awake and presentable by then." Itachi said, sitting down on the bed beside his little brother.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, "You went and invited them already?" He sounded disgruntled.

"Naruto seemed to have been disappointed that you weren't with me. Do you want to disappoint him again?" Itachi arched a single brow and Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his brother, "You are up to something."

Itachi stood and turned away, "I support you in every endeavour, little brother. I know you want to be the boy's friend, so I'm helping make that happen. Are you complaining?"

"No." Sasuke conceded, yawning and stretching, "You said they'd be here at twelve? I'll be ready."

"Good." Itachi began walking away, "I'll have your coffee sent up to you."

"Thanks."

Forty five minutes later, Sasuke was downstairs on the living room couch, scrolling through his messages. His somewhat cold personality and quiet manner didn't lend itself to socialising, but his quick wit and sarcastic sense of humour had won him a few loyal friends. Shikamaru, Ino and Sakura were his closest friends, but they were part of a larger group of nine people who he hung out with occasionally outside of school. None of them could be classified as his best friend and that suited him just fine. He had never understood the need to share every bit of your life with another person; it was probably why he'd also never been in a romantic relationship.

His phone chimed with a new message from Ino. _We're heading out for a movie in the evening. You in?_

Sasuke considered the question before typing his response, _Can I bring someone?_

 _Ooh. A date? Sure! Bring her along._

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He should have guessed her mind would go there. _Not a date._

 _Who is it?_

 _New neighbour. He's our age - seems interesting._

 _You're voluntarily making a new friend?_ Sasuke could practically hear the incredulity in the words.

 _Am I really that bad?_

 _Do you really need me to answer that? Bring him along. Is he cute?_

 _You're asking the wrong person. Besides, you have a boyfriend._ Sasuke responded, shaking his head. He supposed Naruto was fairly attractive, with his tan skin, sunny blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was certainly going to stand out at Konoha High where a majority of the students had dark hair and eyes.

 _Shikamaru knows I love him. Doesn't mean I can't look._

"Sasuke." He looked up to meet his brother's gaze, "They should be here any minute."

"Okay." He said, standing and sending a final message, _Have to go. What time and where?_

 _Five. Shinobi Cinema._

The doorbell rang and Sasuke moved to the foyer, standing just behind his brother as he opened the door. He felt oddly nervous as he faced the Namikazes for the first time, "Hello, I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I'm sorry I wasn't with my brother this morning." He said politely, looking from Minato to Kushina before meeting Naruto's gaze.

"Oh, don't worry honey, Naruto is a late riser too. God help whoever disturbs his beauty sleep." Kushina said cheerfully, leading the way into the house while her husband and son followed behind. Naruto groaned, his ears reddening in a way that intrigued Sasuke, "Mom!"

"Kushina, maybe we'll wait to embarrass Naruto until after he's made friends with Sasuke." Minato suggested gently, giving Sasuke a knowing grin that reminded the Uchiha of Itachi all at once.

"Where's the fun in that?" Kushina wondered, making Itachi and Sasuke exchange amused looks.

"Why don't we sit down in the living room? The cook will come get us when lunch is ready." Itachi suggested, gesturing in the direction of the room before walking towards it.

Minato and Kushina followed, but Naruto hung back, waiting until the other three were out of sight before holding out his right hand. "We haven't officially met. I'm Naruto Namikaze. I'm seventeen, new here and would really like to be friends because I don't want to be that weird new kid everyone stares at on the first day of school."

Sasuke's lips quirked, but he managed not to smile, "Sasuke Uchiha. I'm eighteen, lived here all my life, and I'll put your request under consideration."

Naruto blinked for a second then burst out laughing, his blue eyes lighting up, warmth surrounding the very air around him, "You're a funny bastard."

"And you're a cheerful idiot." Sasuke countered, smirking slightly as he turned to follow after Itachi and Naruto's parents, "I think we'll get along just fine."

Naruto watched Sasuke's back for a moment with a stupidly huge grin on his face before scampering after him. It had been barely twenty four hours and already he was glad his family had made the move to Konoha. Sasuke Uchiha - he was someone Naruto was meant to know, he could feel that in his bones, and he couldn't wait to see what lay ahead for them.

* * *

"No way! You're the team captain?!" Naruto asked, eyes wide with surprise.

"Why is that so hard to believe, idiot?" Sasuke asked, eyes narrowed, a scowl on his face.

"Whoa, chill out! I didn't mean to offend you or anything. It's just, I'm planning to try out for the team! What are the chances I run into the team captain like this?" Naruto cried, excitedly.

"Naruto's been playing basketball since he was five. Minato taught him." Kushina said, looking between the two boys, glad that Naruto was already making new friends.

"Dad was good enough to go professional at one point. Now he's losing his touch though." Naruto said, sending his father a teasing look.

"From what I saw yesterday, he can still thrash you. Which begs the question, do you even have what it takes to make the team?" Sasuke asked, arching a single brow.

Blue eyes burned with determination, "I bet I can beat your pale ass."

"Naruto, Sasuke is the team captain of the best basketball team in the Land of Fire. I really don't know if it's a good idea to—"

"Are you saying you don't think I can?!" Naruto turned on his father, looking outraged.

Minato held up his hands in surrender, "I've never seen Sasuke play, so I can't really judge that. I'm just saying you might want to hold off on making grandiose statements like that."

"It's not just a statement, it's fact. What do you say, bastard? One-on-one, each basket counts as one point, the first to five wins." Naruto smirked at Sasuke, noting his annoyed expression at being underestimated.

"You're on. If you lose, I get to call you 'usuratonkachi' for the rest of your life." Sasuke said, standing despite the fact that they weren't done with the meal yet.

Indignation flared within Naruto, "I am not an usu-usura—whatever that word is!"

Sasuke snickered, "Do you even know what it means?"

"He's basically calling you a loser, Naruto." Itachi supplied, unable to hide his amusement at the way the afternoon had unfolded so far. He had expected Naruto and Sasuke to awkwardly transition from strangers to possible friends, but the boys had skipped ahead to a level of comfort he'd never seen Sasuke show with anyone other than himself.

"I am _not_ a loser." Naruto said heatedly, "And you're on, asshole. If I win, I automatically make the team as part of the starting five."

"I would normally protest this because you're being abominably rude to our hosts, Naruto, but seeing as one of our hosts is provoking you and the other is enjoying himself, I'm going to join the bandwagon and offer to referee the match." Minato said, grinning.

"I'll cover up the food for now, and join you boys outside." Kushina said, waving away Itachi's half-hearted protest, "It's no problem! Go on outside, I'll be there in a few minutes. All the best, Naruto!"

"Are we playing with what we have on now or changing?" Naruto asked as they made their way outside.

"That depends. Are you going to use your clothes as an excuse for your bad performance when you lose?" Sasuke asked cockily.

"Ohhh. I'm so going to thrash you on the court." Naruto said, his blood boiling.

Minato exchanged a bemused look with Itachi, "I can't tell anymore. Do you think they're getting along or beginning to hate each other?"

Itachi looked between the two younger boys exchanging heated insults and shrugged, "I think we're seeing the start of a relationship we're never going to be able to make sense of."

Minato chuckled, "You're probably right."

The four of them came to a stop at the Namikaze's driveway-cum-court. Minato opened the garage door allowing Naruto to grab the basketball from inside. Once both boys were satisfied with the amount of air in the ball, the game started.

It was intense, and both of them were evenly matched, being of similar height and build. Itachi was surprised by how on par with Sasuke Naruto was. After all, as Minato had pointed out, Sasuke was the captain of the best basketball team in the Land of Fire. Naruto had been well-trained though, that much was obvious, what he lacked in skill he made up for with sheer determination. Every time Sasuke made it close to the basket, Naruto managed to intercept the ball, and vice versa. Both boys had managed a two points each by the time Kushina joined them.

"How old are you, Itachi?"

Itachi blinked, not expecting the question at all, "I'm twenty three."

"So young!" Kushina exclaimed, wrapping an arm around the boy's waist in a motherly fashion, "It must be hard running a household all on your own."

Alarm coursed through Itachi as blood rushed to his face, "Um, I—" He looked to Minato, wide-eyed, and the older man came to his rescue.

"Kushina, don't treat the boy like a child. He's been responsible for Sasuke since he was thirteen. He knows how to take care of himself."

"I'm not saying he doesn't, I'm saying he shouldn't have to." Kushina said firmly, taking one of Itachi's hands in both of hers and squeezing, "Anything you or Sasuke need, our door is always open, alright? So if you need to stay late at work or go out of town, don't worry a hair on your head, Sasuke can stay with us. If you need a home-cooked meal or want some company, just come over whenever you want. It's clear that those two are going to be joined at the hip," She said, gesturing to the two boys on the court exchanging insults as they played, "I want you to know you're welcome too. You and Sasuke are now unofficial members of the Namikaze household."

Itachi's eyes widened as a lump formed in his throat. He tried to swallow around it and find his voice, but gave up after a few tries. Kushina seemed to understand his plight because she gave him a warm, cheerful grin before wrapping him up in a hug. Itachi froze for a moment before slowly thawing. How long had it been since he'd been hugged? He didn't think he could remember the last time.

He had arranged this lunch so Naruto could become a part of Sasuke's life, because he didn't want Sasuke to become as unused to shows of affection as he was, but he didn't dream he'd gain something as well.

The three of them stood watching the boys play for the better part of an hour before finally growing bored. Minato shook his head, "They're too evenly matched. They've been at four points each for the last half hour. What say we head back and finish lunch? I've built up an appetite watching them go at it."

Kushina and Itachi agreed, making their way back to the Uchihas' home, leaving Naruto and Sasuke still playing. The boys lasted another fifteen minutes before they called a truce and fell over in exhaustion. They lay on the pavement side by side, close enough that their fingers brushed, but neither was bothered by the contact, both too focused on trying to breathe normally again.

"You're not bad, for an usuratonkachi." Sasuke said, when he finally managed to get his heart rate back to normal.

Naruto turned his head and narrowed those blue eyes, "I didn't lose."

Sasuke turned to face him, smirking, "You didn't win either."

Naruto considered that for a moment, and his face brightened, "Does that mean I'm on the team?"

Sasuke snorted, "Usuratonkachi. You managed to draw with me, and I'm the best on the team. Of course you're in."

"Yes!" Naruto threw his hands up in a cheer and then groaned, "Oh fuck, that hurts."

"I'm hungry." Sasuke observed, placing a hand over his grumbling stomach.

"Me too. But we stink." Naruto said with a grimace, sniffing the air around them.

"Five-minute shower then we'll go eat. Do you have plans for the evening?" Sasuke asked, looking up at the sky.

Naruto gave him a dry look, "I don't know anyone here besides you, your brother and Gran."

"Gran?" Sasuke raised a single brow.

"She's kind of my god-grandmother."

It was Sasuke's turn to give him a dry look, "There's no such thing as a god-grandmother."

"Who died and made you king?" Naruto grumbled, "There is."

"Naruto."

"Sasuke." The blond gave the younger Uchiha an exasperated look, "Wasn't the entire point of this conversation you asking me if I had plans for the evening?"

Sasuke frowned, "Oh, right. Well, if you don't, I'm meeting a few friends for a movie. Come with me."

Naruto sat up quickly, moaning at the pain of the sudden movement, "Yes. I'll come. Just please tell me it doesn't involve any walking."

Sasuke huffed an amused breath, slowly sitting up, managing to hide his pain better than Naruto, "I have a car. We'll take that." He forced himself to his feet and held out a hand, "Get up."

Naruto sighed dramatically before taking the Uchiha's hand and allowing himself to be pulled up. The two froze for a moment with their faces inches from one another, their hands linked between their chests. Blue eyes searched black for a moment before the hands parted and Naruto took a step back. Sasuke turned and began making his way back to his house, "If you aren't there in five minutes, I'm eating your share."

"You're such a fucking bastard." There was no heat to the insult though, instead it was said with a tone of fondness.

* * *

 **I went with 'usuratonkachi' instead of 'dobe' because it's the nickname that stands out the most for me from the anime. :) Anyway, here's the next chapter. I'm going to try to keep the characters as original as possible - hopefully I succeed.**

 **Leave a review! I love hearing from you guys :)**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"So, who are these friends?" Naruto asked, fiddling with the car radio.

Sasuke knocked his hand away, "Stop that. And they aren't all my friends."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Naruto wondered, rolling his eyes, "I bet you're a bastard to everyone."

Sasuke allowed amusement to fill his gaze as he gave his new friend a sideways glance, "You've called me a bastard all afternoon but you seem to like me just fine."

"It's different with us." Naruto said dismissively, and Sasuke was inclined to agree. Something was definitely different with them. Never had he been so at ease with another person, so…comfortable. He didn't feel the need to be wary or suspicious of Naruto's motives. The blond was one of those rare 'what you see is what you get' personalities. He was sure there were parts of himself Naruto didn't easily show strangers, but with regard to his interactions with others he was always brutally honest. And the fact that Sasuke had discerned all of this in the few hours they'd known each other only confirmed what Naruto had said.

"Shikamaru, Ino and Sakura are my friends. Aside from them you'll meet Kiba, Hinata, Lee, Tenten, Neji and Choji."

"That's a lot of names to remember." Naruto mused, leaning back in his seat, "What are they like?"

"Noisy, mostly." Sasuke said, expecting the low chuckle from Naruto, "Shikamaru is cunning. He's usually silent and keeps to himself, but he's always watching what's going on around him. When he wants to, he can make excellent use of the information."

"Kind of like your brother then."

Sasuke let out a low laugh, "You noticed that, did you?" He was impressed. Most people tended to underestimate Itachi right off the bat.

"I just know I'll have to keep myself on my toes around him." Naruto said with a grin, "Life's more interesting that way anyway."

Sasuke shook his head, bemused, "Ino is Shikamaru's girlfriend. She talks a lot and is a bit of a gossip but you can trust her to be frank and up-front with you. That's her redeeming quality."

Naruto made a humming noise to show that he was paying attention.

"Sakura is a bit infatuated with me, but she's finally getting over it. She can be annoying when she's trying to flirt, but otherwise she's fairly dependable and quite loyal."

Naruto chuckled, "The way you're saying she likes you so off-hand like that, I'm guessing you're some kind of school heartthrob? It would explain the massive ego."

"Arrogance is attractive. Or so I've been told." Sasuke said with a shrug, "It isn't as if I ask for the attention."

"What about the others? I'm assuming you've hung out with them before."

"Kiba is loud and obnoxious, Hinata is shy, Neji annoys me, Lee is ridiculous, Tenten and Choji are bearable."

"Why does Neji annoy you?" Naruto asked, watching the streets as they drove through town.

Sasuke scowled, "Why pick him out of all the others?"

"You described each of their personalities except him. Plus, you said he annoys you. I'm intrigued." Naruto said, grinning at the Uchiha.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "He's always been my competition. All our lives, whatever we've done, we've tried to one-up the other. And it's never friendly nor is it any fun, not like with us earlier. He's always so serious about it, it pisses me off."

"A bigger bastard than you, basically." Naruto deduced.

Sasuke gave him a dry look, "I'm sensing a trend. Is this going to be some kind of nickname?"

"You call me usura-whatever, I'll call you bastard. That way we're even."

"My insult is aimed at you, yours is aimed at my parents." Sasuke pointed out in the interest of fair play.

"Shut up. You know I'm not insulting your parents. Besides, didn't we just say it was going to be a nickname?"

"As far as nicknames go, I suppose it could be worse." Sasuke conceded, pulling into a parking spot.

Naruto snickered, "Yeah. I could have decided on 'pookie' or something."

"You're the one who'd look like an idiot if you went around calling me that." Sasuke said, letting himself out of the car. He spotted Ino's blond hair at the entrance and had begun making his way there before he realised that Naruto was still hovering by the passenger side door. He made his way to stand in front of his new friend, not speaking, just waiting.

"I've done this a hundred times, but it's always so fucking nerve-wracking." Naruto said into the silence, clenching and unclenching his hands.

"Meeting new people?" Sasuke guessed.

"Making new friends." Naruto corrected, "I mean, I'm fine once I've started talking to people. It's the approaching that's the problem."

"What's the worst that can happen?"

A dark look crossed Naruto's face and he let out a bitter chuckle, "I'd really rather not talk about it."

Sasuke frowned, his brows furrowing slightly in concern. He didn't like the pain that tinged those words, and he definitely didn't like the shadow surrounding Naruto's usually bright personality. He reached out to tap Naruto's forehead the same way Itachi did to him, "Hey. You're forgetting that this time is different from the other hundred times."

Blue eyes met his gaze, wide and anxious, but also a bit curious, "How?"

"You have me, obviously. I always get what I want, and I want you to start hanging out with us. So it'll happen." Sasuke said confidently, taking a step back.

Naruto's lips curved up in a slight smile and the shadow dissipated, "Just like that, huh?"

"Just like that. Now come on, idiot, we're going to be late."

Everyone looked up as they approached. Ino had clearly already told them he was bringing someone because none of them looked surprised. "Everyone, Naruto. Naruto, everyone."

Naruto huffed, knocking shoulders with Sasuke, "That isn't called an introduction, bastard. Then again, that was more than I was expecting from you." Naruto conceded, giving everyone that warm, sunshine-y grin, "Hi. Sasuke told me a bit about all of you. I'm Naruto, I moved in next door to the bastard."

Sasuke was amused by how stunned most of the group looked. No one used that amount of familiarity when dealing with Sasuke, so they weren't expecting it from a complete stranger. Ino was the quickest to recover with a loud laugh, "Bastard. It suits you, Sasuke. I wonder how I didn't think of it before."

"I kind of have a trademark on it now." Naruto grinned, meeting Sasuke's dark gaze.

The Uchiha rolled his eyes, "Usuratonkachi."

"Well, I'm Ino, and this is my boyfriend, Shikamaru."

"Choji. It's nice to meet you."

"Tenten."

"Lee. I'm excited to make your acquaintance!"

"H-Hinata."

"Neji."

"Sakura. I hope you're liking Konoha so far."

"I'm Kiba, and can I just say that the fact that you get along so well with that guy is a strike against you in my book?"

Sasuke shot a glare at the irritating brunet, but Naruto just laughed, "Your loss, I guess." He looked around at everyone else, "It's nice to meet all of you. What movie are we going for?"

"Well, we'd just decided on the new Avengers. Do either of you have an issue with that?" Ino asked, looking between Naruto and Sasuke.

"I've been wanting to see that one! The last one ended with such a cliff-hanger. I hate when that happens." Naruto said, shaking his head in annoyance while Sasuke just shrugged. The others exchanged confused glances as they tried to make sense of the two boys before them. So far they seemed to have nothing in common, so why was Sasuke friends with him? Sasuke never bothered with new people.

Sakura decided to take the plunge to try and understand, "When did you move in, Naruto? Did you and Sasuke know each other from before?"

Naruto exchanged a bemused look with Sasuke, "Moved in yesterday, and I met the bastard earlier today for the first time actually. One interrupted lunch and a crazy basketball game later, here we are!"

"Basketball?" Neji looked between Naruto and Sasuke, "Is he any good?"

"He's on the team. Managed to draw with me in a one-on-one." Sasuke said, "We'd bet on it, so he's on the team, part of the starting five."

"You're the team captain, you can't _bet_ on such important matters." Neji said sharply.

"If he was going to be able to beat me, he deserved a spot in the starting five. It was a bet worth making." Sasuke scowled at the other boy, black eyes clashing with lavender.

"Okay, let's calm the fuck down." Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "Bigger bastard than you. I didn't believe you earlier, I've been proved wrong." He said conversationally, making Sasuke snort in abrupt amusement while a few others laughed and Neji narrowed his eyes, "If you have a problem with it, jackass, I don't mind taking you on later."

"Sasuke is the better player between the two of them. If you tied with Sasuke, there's no point in taking on Neji. You're obviously more than qualified for the team." Shikamaru said, speaking for the first time.

"I'm curious though. Your part of the bet was obviously a place on the team, but what did Sasuke win?" Ino asked, looking between the two.

Naruto scowled and Sasuke smirked, "I get to call him 'usuratonkachi' for life."

Shikamaru chuckled, intelligent eyes glinting with amusement, "Our movie doesn't start till seven, so we thought we'd go out and grab an early dinner."

"Oh crap, wait. Did we tell Mom before we left?" Naruto asked, turning to Sasuke.

Sasuke shook his head, "Your parents had gone home by then, remember? They left while we were eating. Itachi knows where we are."

"Give me your phone."

"Where's yours?" Sasuke asked, annoyed.

"On my bed."

"Idiot. You realise the point of a cellphone is to have it when you leave the house, right?"

"I know, bastard. I forgot it, so give me your phone. I'm dead if she makes me dinner and I'm not there to eat it."

"Do you even know your parents' numbers?" Sasuke asked as he took the phone out of his pocket.

Naruto swiped the phone from his hand and searched the contacts for Itachi, "I'll call your brother and tell him to tell Mom."

"Itachi doesn't do anything for free."

"So I'll owe him one." Naruto said, shrugging, "Hi, Itachi?"

Sasuke watched him move away from the group and shook his head. Naruto had no idea what he'd just done; you should never owe Itachi anything. Oh well, he'd learn. Sasuke turned back to see half the group watching him, while the other half discussed possible dinner destinations. "What?"

Shikamaru grinned, "I like him."

"Me too." Ino agreed, "You need someone like him to knock you down a few pegs."

"He does seem like a nice guy." Kiba admitted, albeit a bit reluctantly.

"He's definitely…something." Sakura said, staring at Naruto with a strange look on her face.

"Alright, done!" Naruto grinned as he dropped the phone back onto Sasuke's outstretched hand, "Itachi even said since it's the first time I don't have to owe him one!"

"You lucked out then. Don't make the same mistake twice. Itachi has a way of calling in favours at the worst possible time and for the most ridiculous reasons." Sasuke warned, pocketing his phone.

"And he does this to everyone?" Blond brows furrowed in confusion.

"Just the people he likes."

Naruto considered that and shook his head, "Uchihas are bizarre."

Kiba let out a loud bark of laughter, deciding that all said and done, he liked the new guy. "Dude, you have no idea. Welcome to Konoha - we're all a little bit crazy over here."

Naruto grinned. Crazy wasn't always a bad thing.

* * *

 **I love reviews - so please leave some :)**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

Monday morning saw two boys being packed off in Sasuke's car, both grumpy and sleep-deprived. Kushina made a clucking sound at the back of her throat as Sasuke reversed out of his driveway, "Is it alright for him to be driving when he's like this?"

Itachi chuckled, "Don't worry about it. At this point, Sasuke is an expert at driving half-asleep. He'll wake up by the time they get to school."

"That's usually the case with Naruto too. It's funny, isn't it? How much they have in common despite possessing two completely different personalities?" Kushina mused.

"It's a bit of a coincidence, definitely." Itachi agreed, turning to the redhead with a small smile, "Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?"

"Oh, thank you sweetheart, but I should head back. Today is Minato's first day at work too, and while I'm not usually the one who cooks, I thought I'd get something ready for him. He's always so nervous on the first day at a new job. Do you have work today?"

Itachi nodded, "I usually go in at around ten. If I'm not here to make sure Sasuke gets out of bed and into his car, there are times it doesn't happen."

Kushina laughed, "From what I saw today, I can believe that. Have a good day, Itachi." The redhead reached out to give the young man a half-hug before dancing back down the sidewalk to her home. Itachi stared after her with a fond smile before shaking his head and making his way back as well. He spared a thought for his brother and his blond friend, wondering how they would fare on their first day at school together. The two of them had been fairly inseparable since Saturday afternoon.

When Sasuke had come home that night after meeting his friends, Naruto had already been fast asleep in the car; apparently he had not slept well the night before. Itachi had watched with a sense of bemusement as his brother balanced indifference and concern on a knife-edge while shaking the blond awake and getting him back into his house. On Sunday, the two had met up after breakfast for a game of basketball and spent the rest of the day shuttling between the Uchihas' home, playing video games and the Namikaze's unpacking the last of Naruto's things. Something Itachi had noticed over the course of the day was that while their bond was a strong one, he never felt out of place when he was with them like he did with Sasuke's other friends. In fact, it was a bit like gaining another younger brother, one who teased him and laughed at him in a way Sasuke never would.

Itachi's phone buzzed, and he pulled it out, knowing what the message said before he opened it. It was something he'd made Sasuke get used to back when his little brother had begun to drive himself to school. The message was short and to the point, _We're here._

 _Have a good day at school, little brother. Keep an eye on your usuratonkachi; first days can be trying._

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the message, putting his phone back in his pocket as he got out of the car. As if he needed Itachi to tell him that. He glanced over at Naruto who seemed to be giving himself some kind of a mental pep talk.

"Usuratonkachi."

"What?!" Sasuke arched a brow at the snappy tone, slightly appeased when Naruto flushed and looked apologetic, "Sorry, I'm just a bit on-edge. I'm usually better at hiding it." The Uchiha could practically see him pouting and he felt a sudden rush of fondness for the other boy. Not that he let it show in any way or form.

"Didn't you force yourself on me because you _didn't_ want to be the weird new kid on the first day?" Sasuke asked, meeting blue eyes, "There's no point if you act like one anyway."

"Shut up, bastard." But Naruto seemed to relax, so Sasuke didn't push the matter.

"Come on. You'll need to drop by the school office first and pick up your timetable and locker combination."

As they walked through the school, Naruto wasn't oblivious to the number of stares they got. He was certain it had next-to-nothing to do with him being new and everything to do with who he was with. He sighed, "You must be really anti-social if everyone is staring so much just because you're with someone new."

Sasuke snorted in amusement, "You wanted to be my friend. Stop complaining."

"It's not a complaint." Naruto said with a grin, "It's an observation."

"Hn."

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura approached them with a warm smile on her face, "How was the rest of your weekend?"

"Good morning, Sakura!" Naruto said cheerfully, and if Sasuke hadn't seen it for himself he'd never have guessed the blond felt any nerves at all about starting in a new school. "It was great! The bastard helped me unpack."

"Sasuke did?" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

"We really need to do something about your reputation, bastard. No one seems to believe you're capable of being a human." Naruto teased, nudging Sasuke with his shoulder playfully.

"That suits me just fine." Sasuke said with a shrug.

Naruto huffed out an amused breath, "Of course it does." He turned back to Sakura, noticing the odd look on her face, "Sakura? Is everything alright?"

Green eyes blinked and the pink-haired girl seemed to focus once more, "Ah, yeah! Sorry! Got lost in thought there for a minute. Are you both heading to the office?"

"Yeah. I need to get assigned a locker and stuff." Naruto said, glancing at his watch, "Speaking of which, we should be going or we'll be late for class."

"I can take you." Sakura offered, giving the blond a smile, "Sasuke usually has student council duties in the morning."

Naruto blinked, frowning slightly, "You didn't mention that, asshole. I don't need you to babysit me. Did my parents put you up to this?"

Sasuke shot Sakura a cool glare before turning back to soothe Naruto's ruffled feathers in the best way he knew how, "I do things because I want to do them. Others have no say in my actions." He said dismissively, "Besides, as the Student Council President, I'm supposed to meet with the principal on the first day of school. As Secretary, Sakura has better things to do than delay us."

Sakura flinched, and her cheeks flushed with colour, "Right. I was just on my way to take care of morning announcements. I'll see you two later!"

Naruto watched her go and frowned, "That was mean, Sasuke."

"I'm a bastard. Isn't that what you've been telling me for the past two days? She's used to it." Sasuke said coolly, leading the way to the principal's office.

"Still, there was no need to—"

"Did you want to go to the office with her, usuratonkachi?" Sasuke cut in, black eyes darting back to meet blue ones.

Naruto pursed his lips, "I don't need you to fucking babysit me. I was serious about that."

"Noted. I'll keep such acts of concern to a minimum." Sasuke said dryly, "Really, idiot, do I look like the kind of person who would even _bother_ with something as menial as babysitting?"

Lips quirking in a small smile, Naruto shook his head, "I guess not. Don't know what I was thinking."

"You weren't thinking at all." Sasuke said with a smirk.

Their meeting with the principal went smoothly and both of them were making their way to Naruto's new locker within fifteen minutes. It was conveniently located close to Sasuke's and as they walked, they compared their timetables — they shared the same lunch and had at least two classes together everyday.

"I'll see you later, usuratonkachi." Sasuke said, glancing down at the blond's schedule, "Your first class is just down the corridor, the last door to the left."

"Right." Naruto flashed him a smile, but before he could walk away Sasuke reached out and poked his forehead the same way he had in the parking lot on Saturday. Naruto scrunched his nose, reaching up to rub the spot, "What was that for?"

Sasuke shrugged, his dark eyes giving away his amusement, before he turned and walked away. Naruto stared after him for a moment, before chuckling and rubbing the spot. Somehow he was no longer that nervous about his first day.

* * *

Naruto walked into the cafeteria with Kiba and Hinata flanking him, laughing at some joke the Inuzuka was telling them. He'd had all three of his morning classes with Kiba and the last two with Hinata as well, and got along well with both of them. While Sasuke's description of them was pretty spot-on, Naruto found Kiba's brashness endearing and Hinata's quiet sensibility refreshing. They'd become fast friends, and Naruto could tell that while not as potent or intense as his bond with Sasuke, these bonds were going to be just as lasting.

As he pondered his connection to Sasuke, the back of his neck tingled and he knew the exact moment Sasuke looked at him. He could even tell where exactly he was looking from, his eyes immediately seeking him out till blue eyes locked on black. Sasuke's gaze darted toward the line for food, and Naruto immediately began leading Kiba and Hinata in that direction.

"And then we—hey, wait, why are we going this way?" Kiba asked, confused, glancing to the table the group of friends usually convened at before going to get food, "Everyone is that way."

"Sasuke asked me to meet him here." Naruto explained, falling behind the last person in line.

"How could he have asked you? You forgot your phone at home again and you haven't had any classes with him yet." Kiba pointed out, confused.

Naruto chuckled, "I can't really explain it. I saw him and knew what he wanted."

"Kiba. Hinata. Usuratonkachi." Sasuke intoned, stepping up behind them in line.

Kiba started, looking between the two boys, wide-eyed, "Holy shit! That's totally freaky dude! How did you know?"

"What's he going on about?" Sasuke asked, already sounding annoyed.

"We were just surprised by Naruto's ability to understand you." Hinata said in her quiet way, "It's not always an easy task."

Sasuke's dark brows rose, surprised by the lack of stuttering and the quiet strength he could suddenly sense in the girl. "Understand me?"

"I knew you wanted to meet me here." Naruto explained, studying Sasuke's face as he spoke.

The Uchiha frowned, "Well, I clearly—" He cut himself off, freezing. He had clearly said absolutely nothing. All he'd done was look from Naruto to the line and he'd considered the message conveyed. Hinata was not wrong in saying he wasn't easy to understand. On his best days, even when he was feeling communicative, people had difficulty figuring out just what he was saying and why.

"Let it go, Sasuke." Naruto's voice carried a hint of amusement in it.

Sasuke scowled, "I hate to agree with Inuzuka on anything, but it is a bit freaky."

"Freaky bad?" Blue eyes were knowing even as Naruto voiced the question.

"Hn." Sasuke turned to Hinata, "I don't think I've ever heard you talk that much before."

Naruto snorted, "You are such a bastard." He murmured, shaking his head, and Kiba voiced his agreement.

Hinata just smiled, lavender eyes twinkling with amusement, "I don't think you've ever bothered to actually talk to me before."

Sasuke's lips twitched as he fought a smile, "I might have misjudged you." He admitted after a long moment, picking up a tray to get food with.

"Did Uchiha just admit he was wrong about something?" Kiba sounded like he was getting his mind-blown, "Whoa! Dude! What happened to you over the summer?!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "You're so fucking dramatic, Inuzuka."

"Ah, wait. There's the Sasuke Uchiha we know and love. False alarm!"

Naruto laughed, "How's your day been so far?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, usuratonkachi?" Sasuke countered with an arched brow.

"Doesn't feel like a first day, honestly." Naruto admitted, shrugging as he smiled.

Sasuke felt a sense of satisfaction rush through him, "Good." He led the way to their usual table which was now empty as the rest of the group went to get their lunches. "Basketball tryouts are being held on Friday. Obviously you already won your place on the team, but you need to be there."

"Will do. Want to play a game when we get back home?" Naruto asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Sasuke shook his head, "I need to stay back for a council meeting. You'll have to hang around with me, it slipped my mind this morning, otherwise I'd have asked you to drive yourself."

"I can drop Naruto back on my way home." Hinata offered, "I live only a couple of streets away, it won't be out of the way."

"Really?" Naruto grinned widely, "Thanks, Hinata!"

"Most of the others are on the council with Sasuke, but Lee, Choji and the three of us could go grab a coffee from across the street before heading home." Kiba suggested.

The rest of the day flew by. Classes with Sasuke were an interesting experience because Naruto and Sasuke were usually the centre of a lot of attention, not that it bothered either of them, but still, the stares were hard to miss. Girls were intrigued, both because of Naruto's uncommon appearance and his friendship with the school's golden boy. Guys were astonished because of how clearly different the two boys were — all of them had tried at some point or another to be Sasuke's friend so what did this new guy have that they didn't? The gossip mills in the school were rife with discussion and when Naruto and Sasuke packed up after their last class together for the day, Naruto chuckled, bemused, "You think it'll die down?"

"It's new now. They'll get used to it." Sasuke said dismissively.

"I wonder about that." Naruto murmured, giving his friend a sidelong glance.

Sasuke frowned, "Did you say something?"

Naruto grinned, "Nope. See you tomorrow?"

"I'll be able to leave at a normal time, so we'll come together." Sasuke confirmed with a nod.

"Do you need me to tell Itachi you'll be late?"

"He'll be at work. I'll send him a text." And as if that reminded him of something, Sasuke hit Naruto on the back of his head, making him yelp, "What the fuck?!"

"Stop forgetting your phone, idiot."

Naruto huffed out a breath, rubbing the spot that had been hit, "I prefer the forehead poking to that. It hurts less."

Sasuke let out a low chuckle before walking away.

* * *

 **Leave a review please :)**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

Naruto quickly fell into a comfortable routine. He'd drive down to school with Sasuke, help him out with whatever council duties he had until it was time for class, grab lunch with the rest of the group and head back home with Sasuke. Except for Monday, the two of them remained together after school, going for a run or getting in a game of one-on-one, until it was time for dinner. On the days Itachi wasn't in for dinner, which was a few times that week, Sasuke ate dinner with the Namikazes on Kushina's insistence, and he would find himself alone only long after the sun had set.

It was strange, Sasuke mused as he walked to his final class on Friday. Solitude had been his most steadfast companion over the last ten years; he was used to being alone, had revelled in it. So the fact that he was now _never_ alone ought to piss him off; it probably would too if the person he was with all the time wasn't Naruto. He spared a glance for his (was there really any point denying it anymore?) best friend, walking in step with him, chattering a mile a minute. The blond was grinning, as usual, but Sasuke was getting better at deciphering different grins. The one he had on now was a genuinely excited smile, he was looking forward to the basketball tryouts after school; he hadn't shut up about them all day. There were smiles that hid pain though, smiles that tried to distract, smiles that were forced on when all Naruto wanted to do was lose his temper. Before meeting the blond, Sasuke had never realised just how expressive someone's face could be, then again no one else seemed to be able to discern the various fleeting looks and emotions that crossed Naruto's face.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"I was trying not to." Sasuke admitted shamelessly, drawing an annoyed growl from the blond that had him smirking.

"Bastard."

"Usuratonkachi."

"Sasuke." There was a warning in the tone now.

"Naruto." Sasuke used the same tone.

Naruto's nose scrunched up in annoyance before some thought distracted him, "Oh, right. Mom wanted to know if you and your brother wanted to eat with us tomorrow afternoon. I texted Itachi about it, he says it's fine."

"You texted Itachi?" Sasuke felt a jolt of irritation, "What are you doing messaging my brother anyway?"

Naruto's lips curved in an amused smile as his eyes danced with mischief, "You know, if I didn't know any better I'd say you sound jealous."

The irritation manifested itself in a scowl, "Jealous of what, idiot? Hn." He met Naruto's eyes with a narrowed glare, "It's a good thing you _do_ know better."

The blond chuckled, "You're my best friend, Itachi is practically my brother as well. Obviously I message him."

Usually those would be bold statements to make after knowing someone for just a week, but the words rang true about the two of them. As suddenly as their bond was formed, it was rock-fucking-solid, and everyone around them could tell. Even the other students at school had already begun to accept the fact that you no longer saw the brooding council president without his bright, sunshine-y best friend. They no longer got as many strange looks and the novelty of their friendship was wearing off for everyone.

Sasuke felt somewhat appeased by that statement, choosing to acknowledge it with a soft, "Hn."

"Hey Naruto!" Blond and black heads turned to look at the girl approaching them. Sasuke recognised her vaguely as a fellow senior, but couldn't place her. Apparently Naruto could though because he smiled in welcome, "Yugao. What's up?"

The purple-haired girl stopped before them, darting a wary glance at Sasuke before smiling at Naruto warmly, "I was wondering if you wanted to catch a movie together over the weekend?"

Something in Sasuke froze, and anger rushed through him with confusion at its heels. Who the hell did this girl think she was, asking Naruto out, and why the fuck did he care? Naruto shifted uncomfortably beside him, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, "Ah, you mean like a date?" His ears were turning that intriguing red that Sasuke had last seen on the day they'd met.

"Yeah." The girl nodded, looking suddenly uncertain, "Um, I think you're cute, and well…" She let the sentence drag off, shuffling her feet nervously.

Sasuke tried to make himself walk on and leave the pathetic scene behind, but he couldn't. He needed to hear Naruto's answer before his muscles would relax enough to allow him to move. Dark eyes moved to scan the tan face only to find blue eyes focused on him, the look in them one Sasuke hadn't had the chance to see yet, and so could not understand. He held Naruto's gaze, his lips twisting in the faintest of frowns at how long it was taking the blond to answer, when suddenly Naruto spoke. His voice startled Sasuke as he hadn't been expecting it, but he'd be damned before he actually let that show.

"Sorry, Yugao. I'm not really looking for anything right now." Naruto shrugged apologetically, "Thanks for the invite though."

The girl's face was red with embarrassment now, and Sasuke felt smug satisfaction at the sight, even if he didn't entirely understand why. "O-Oh! Right, of course. I guess I'll see you around."

"See you." Naruto and Sasuke stood together, silent, as the girl scurried away, neither making any move to continue on to class until Naruto finally sighed and stretched his arms out above him before folding them behind his head as he began to walk. "How long do you think the tryouts are going to go on for? I want to get some ice cream on our way home."

Sasuke let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding before falling into step with the blond, "You keep eating junk like that you're going to get fat, usuratonkachi."

"Let me worry about that, bastard."

And just like that, the incident was pushed aside and locked away in the far corners of Sasuke's mind. There was no need to think about it.

Once the final bell rang, the boys made their way to the gym, joined on the way by Neji, Shikamaru and Lee. Naruto greeted them enthusiastically, while Sasuke simply nodded in acknowledgement.

"I hate tryouts. They're such a waste of time." Shikamaru grumbled, "Why can't we just have a battle royal and pick the three best players? Well, two since we already have Naruto."

"Your laziness knows no bounds, as usual." Neji said, rolling his eyes.

"I agree with Neji, Shikamaru! All those eager souls waiting to show us the extent of their talents! We need to welcome them with open arms and a warm greeting!" Lee exclaimed passionately.

"There is such a thing as too much enthusiasm though." Neji conceded with a sigh, "I can't believe you set him off, Nara. I'm going to have to deal with this."

Shikamaru sniggered along with Naruto, "You know, I don't get your friendship." The blond said, shaking his head, "How did someone so easily riled up become best friends with a guy who exists to rile people up?"

"Oh, you're one to talk." Shikamaru said, looking meaningfully between Sasuke and Naruto, "The two of you are like night and day."

"We work because as dumb as he looks, the usuratonkachi is capable of a normal conversation." Sasuke said smoothly, "Plus, he won't leave me alone."

"What?! Bastard! Come say that to my face! Who won't leave who alone?!" Naruto cried in outrage, whirling and pointing his finger at Sasuke's face so it was inches from his perfect nose.

Sasuke reached up and slapped the hand away from his face, smirking slightly, "Let's see, who was it that asked me desperately to be his friend?"

"You were the one who invited us over for lunch!" Naruto retaliated.

Shikamaru groaned, "Oh god, make it stop."

Neji snorted, "I think their friendship might make even less sense than ours. At least Lee and I are not always fighting."

Sasuke let out a low chuckle, "What are you talking about? The fighting is the best part."

"Don't just ignore me, bastard!"

"Aren't you a noisy bunch?" The new voice cut through the conversation and made the group turn to face the speaker.

"Kakashi?" Emotion actually bled into Sasuke's eyes as they widened at the sight of the grey-haired man. "What the hell? What are you doing here?!"

"You get taller every time I see you." Kakashi said condescendingly, reaching out to ruffle Sasuke's hair before he could jump out of reach. Naruto watched the exchange with wide eyes, his brows slightly furrowed. Who was this man, and how did Sasuke know him? "I'm here to get a ride with you for dinner. Itachi said he'd meet us at the restaurant."

Naruto watched Sasuke digest that information and scowl before taking out his phone and scanning his messages. "Itachi never said the dinner was today."

"Or he did and you tuned him out in your morning grump-mode." Kakashi said teasingly, his eyes now moving past Sasuke to the rest of the boys. "Long time no see, Shikamaru. And you," His eyes narrowed on Naruto, "you're new. Naruto, I presume?"

A little freaked out, Naruto edged closer to Sasuke, standing half-behind him, "Bastard, who is he and why does he know my name?"

"As hard as it is to believe, that idiot is mine and Itachi's guardian, Kakashi Hatake." Sasuke explained, slipping his phone back in his pocket before addressing Kakashi, "I have basketball tryouts to oversee. You'll have to wait."

"Itachi mentioned that. Don't worry, I came prepared." The man pulled out what looked to be a Mills&Boon, waving it to them.

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as Naruto moved out from behind him to get a closer look at the book. "That's definitely Mills&Boon." His nose scrunched up, "Why are you reading that?"

Kakashi took advantage of his proximity to throw an arm around Naruto and pull him against his side, "The question is, why aren't you reading this?" He said, holding the book up to the blond, "Men don't realise that these books, they're the Holy Grail. There's all kinds of intriguing information hidden in these pages."

Naruto gave the man an 'are you being serious right now' look before detaching himself from him, "Sorry. They don't do anything for me."

"They don't?" Kakashi's eyes glinted knowingly and it made Naruto uncomfortable, "Are the characters not to your liking or is it their ge—"

"Aren't we going to be late?" Naruto interrupted the man loudly, shooting him a horrified look when he realised just what Kakashi had been about to say. The blond wasn't ready for that. Not yet.

Sasuke, immediately able tell something was wrong, shot his guardian a heated glare before making his way to Naruto's side, "Usuratonkachi."

"Let's go, bastard." There was a tone of urgency in Naruto's voice that Sasuke didn't quite understand, but he nodded, looking to the others. Neji and Lee were eyeing Kakashi with some apprehension, but Shikamaru's eyes were narrowed and calculating. He'd seen what Sasuke had missed, and the Uchiha would be damned if he didn't make his friend tell him later. With that decided, he obliged his usuratonkachi's request, leading the way to the gym.

Tryouts took longer than he'd expected. With Naruto already filling one of the vacant spots, they were only looking for two more players, neither of whom would be playing in the starting five; but they weren't the best team in the Land of Fire for nothing. Selecting two players from their pool of thirty-odd candidates was an arduous task. Sasuke, Neji and Shikamaru managed to narrow the number down to seven, but it was hard beyond that — they were all too evenly matched. Sasuke glanced at Naruto, arching a single brow, and Naruto stood, walking over to join them, "Send them up against me. They aren't going to be able to make a basket, I won't let them, but you'll get a good idea of how they play."

"It doesn't have to be only you. We could take turns." Neji suggested.

Shikamaru shook his head, "Different people have different skill sets and different ways of playing. If we want to judge them fairly, they all have to go up against the same opponent."

It was a good idea and Shikamaru had a point, but Sasuke frowned, "There are seven of them, and one of you, usuratonkachi."

Naruto gave him a cocky smile, "What are you worried about? I won't even work up a sweat."

He did work up a sweat, but Sasuke conceded that Naruto had been more than up to the task. Even Neji stopped bitching about Naruto being given a default spot on the team after watching him play. The newly formed team hit the showers, laughing and chatting, and once they were dressed, Sasuke supported Naruto as they walked out to the car. As they neared it, Naruto felt Kakashi's analytical gaze on him and immediately tried to push Sasuke away, making them both stumble and nearly fall. "What the fuck, Naruto?" Sasuke growled, steadying them. He looked up to glare at his best friend and found himself staring at red ears. What was Naruto embarrassed about?

"I didn't know Naruto was going to be joining us for dinner." Kakashi said lightly, opening the back door for the blond.

"We need to make a quick detour and drop him back home. I'm his ride." Sasuke explained, letting go of Naruto so he could fold himself into the backseat, his demeanour suddenly muted. The Uchiha scowled, shutting the door before turning on Kakashi, "Whatever the fuck you're doing, stop." He said menacingly.

Kakashi raised a single brow, "Why, I haven't done a thing."

"Cut the bullshit. Naruto isn't acting like himself, and that started when _you_ showed up. So whatever you're doing to upset him, stop doing it!" Sasuke said firmly, black eyes flashing.

"Aren't we protective?" Kakashi murmured with a smirk, making Sasuke's brows furrow, but he continued with a shrug, "I honestly didn't do anything, but I'll talk to Naruto and fix it." He reached for the passenger-side door, "Don't get in until I tell you to."

Sasuke scowled and folded his arms across his chest, but allowed his guardian to slip into the car without him. He heard the low murmur of voices from the car as the two talked and in less than five minutes, Kakashi opened his door, "All fixed."

Sasuke slipped into the driver seat, giving Kakashi a suspicious look before seeking out Naruto's gaze in the rearview mirror. Blue eyes met black, and when Sasuke arched his brow, they lightened. Appeased, Sasuke started the car and drove Naruto home before making his way to the restaurant they were supposed to meet Itachi at.

"What was that all about?" He asked finally.

Kakashi sniggered, "I'm impressed by how long you lasted. It's killing you, isn't it, not knowing?"

Sasuke scowled, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch. I just found out something about your friend that he isn't ready to make known yet." Kakashi said, stretching out on his seat, folding his arms behind his head.

A small frown played on Sasuke's lips, "Naruto has a secret?"

"Everyone has secrets, Sasuke."

"I don't like people hiding things from me." Sasuke hissed, his eyes narrowing on the road, displeasure coming off him in waves.

Kakashi chuckled, "Oh he's not hiding anything, I don't even think he's trying to hide honestly. I picked up on it in the first five minutes of speaking with him, didn't I?"

Black eyes darted to meet brown, "It's something I haven't noticed yet though." He discerned, reading between the lines.

"Smart boy." Kakashi said, a hint of pride in his voice, "What do you think of Naruto?"

"He's…like the sun." Sasuke said after a long moment of consideration, "Warm and bright. The sun makes you sweat, which can be annoying as hell, but being warm beats the cold any day."

Silence met his words, and then Kakashi chuckled softly, "That was surprisingly poetic. Like the sun, huh?"

"Why are you asking?" Sasuke looked over at the older man, curious.

Kakashi rested his head back on the headrest and sighed, "Itachi called me one week back and told me that he saw you smile for the first time in ten years. He said he thought the reason for that smile had just moved in across the street. I guess I was just wondering what it took to make that happen."

Sasuke was quiet for the rest of the drive, but once they'd pulled into the parking spot outside the restaurant he spoke softly, "Everything he feels is written on his face, clear as day for everyone to see. I'd never seen someone like that before. I wanted to know him, and when he smiled…well, scowling wouldn't have won me any favours."

"You seem to have no problem scowling at him now." Kakashi pointed out.

Sasuke let out a low chuckle, "Well, I had to make a good first impression, right?"

The two of them got out of the car together spotting Itachi at the entrance, and as Sasuke walked ahead, greeting Itachi as he approached, Kakashi smiled to himself. Naruto Namikaze. He'd have to remember that name since the boy was quite clearly not going anywhere.

* * *

 **Review. Review. Review. :)**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

Sasuke decided to figure out Naruto's secret on his own for two reasons. The first was that he'd seen how upset the blond had been when Kakashi had unearthed it before he was ready to share, and he didn't want to start a fight by confronting the usuratonkachi about it. The second was that if _Kakashi_ could figure it out then he damn well could!

That being said, it had been nearly a month now and Sasuke was no closer to figuring out his usuratonkachi's secret. He'd even swallowed his pride and asked Shikamaru what he'd found out, but the Nara had said all he had so far was theories and he wouldn't share information he wasn't a 100% sure of.

Over the past four weeks Sasuke had catalogued each and every out-of-ordinary thing Naruto had done and filed it away for later analysis. The usuratonkachi really liked ramen. He actually seemed to enjoy Kiba Inuzuka's company. He refused to let Sasuke stay over at his house. He didn't like walking around naked in the locker room, and turned red when the boys teased him about it. He'd declined a total of twelve invitations to dinner, three invitations for coffee and five invitations to watch a movie, all from different girls. On top of all this, he was never anything but brutally honest with Sasuke, which only made the Uchiha feel worse about observing his best friend so closely.

Their bond had strengthened further and Sasuke honestly didn't know what kind of life he'd been living before Naruto had moved to Konoha. It seemed like everything he did was better now that Naruto was a part of it. The basketball team, his council duties every morning, classes, drives to school and back home, even afternoons with Itachi. Naruto's warmth had permeated everything, and Sasuke wouldn't have it any other way.

When he finally decided to concede defeat, he went straight to Naruto and directly asked the blond what the big secret was. The response he received when he did was not what he was expecting.

"Not just a bastard, but a dense one at that."

Sasuke scowled, "Are you really in a place to be insulting me right now? We're supposed to be best friends and you're hiding something from me!" He accused, black eyes narrowed.

"That's rich!" Naruto scoffed, "Did you think you were being subtle with the way you were watching my every move these last few weeks? You were trying to figure it out, weren't you? Even though Kakashi told you I wasn't ready to share."

"Hn." Sasuke turned his face away, "How do you know what Kakashi said anyway? Besides, no one is asking you to tell everyone. I'm different, aren't I?" Black eyes clashed with blue, "We're different — we agreed on that."

"It's _because_ we're different that I can't tell you, bastard!" Naruto cried, throwing his arms up in frustration.

Sasuke's expression grew impassive, "So not only are you hiding something from me, you don't trust me either." He stood from his place on the couch beside the blond and turned, "I'm glad we got that out of the way. Get the fuck out of my house."

"Sasuke." Naruto groaned, "Come on, you know I trust you. Can't you just let this go?"

"Get out, Naruto." His voice was deadly.

"I'm gay."

"I said—wait, what?" Sasuke blinked, eyebrows furrowing, the blankness dissipating and leaving confusion, "Did you just say you were gay?"

Naruto's ears were red, he nodded, "It was kind of a recent thing." He mumbled, keeping his face down as he did. As a result he missed noticing the look of annoyance taking over Sasuke's features, at least until the emotion bled into his voice when he spoke, " _That_ is your big secret? That you like guys? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Gaping, Naruto stared at him, wide-eyed, "What?"

Pointing an accusing finger at the blond, Sasuke scowled, "Do you know how much I've been cracking my head over this whole thing? I thought you were lying to me about something huge! I had all kinds of worst-case scenarios in my head and the secret turns out just to be that you're gay?!"

There was a long moment when Naruto couldn't respond, and then he burst out laughing, reaching over and grabbing Sasuke's arm, pulling him back onto the couch next to the blond. "You really don't care, bastard?"

Sasuke frowned, "Why the hell would I care, you big idiot?"

Naruto gave his best friend his biggest, most genuine grin, stunning Sasuke a bit with its radiance. He squeezed the arm he still held, "We practically live together, Sasuke. I was just worried that you'd get weird if you knew I swung that way."

Sasuke huffed an exasperated breath, "I didn't know this was something we even had to talk about. Since we are, I guess it's only fair to tell you that I don't really know what I am."

Naruto froze, "What do you mean?"

Shrugging, Sasuke frowned slightly, "Well it's not like anyone has really ever interested me before. Male or female. So I don't know what that makes me. At this point though, I don't think I need anyone."

"Everyone needs someone, bastard." Naruto said gently, nudging him on the shoulder.

"I have you." He didn't hear Naruto's sharp intake of breath, "That's more than enough for me. I can't imagine sharing so much of myself with someone else." He grimaced at the thought, shaking his head.

Naruto let out a shaky laugh, leaning forward to tuck his face under Sasuke's chin as he wrapped his arms around his lean form, making the Uchiha stiffen for a moment before thawing and allowing the contact, "You're going to be the death of me, Sasuke."

Sasuke wondered what that meant as he slowly returned the embrace, relaxing into the warmth with a small smile.

* * *

Itachi took a sip from his hot mug of coffee, not looking up as he said, "Sasuke is still asleep."

"I know. I came to talk to you."

If he was surprised, it didn't show on his impassive expression as he turned to rest dark eyes on the boy he'd come to see as a second little brother, "Well, you have my attention." He studied Naruto's expression which seemed torn between apprehension and determination, "What's wrong, blondie?"

Naruto hesitated for a second before moving to come sit at the dining table next to Itachi, facing him, "This conversation might get a bit uncomfortable for you, but I need you to bear with me."

Itachi said nothing, merely pushing away the newspaper he'd been reading and turning to face the blond, arching a single brow.

"Well, obviously, you know I'm halfway in love with your brother." Naruto's ears turned red at his admission but he kept his gaze steady.

Itachi smirked, "Kakashi mentioned something to that effect. I'll admit I've drawn a similar conclusion over the past few weeks."

 _"For someone who clearly doesn't want people to know, you're making things quite obvious Naruto." Kakashi murmured once he'd entered the car and shut the door behind him._

 _The expression on Naruto's face when he looked at him was a miserable one, "Are you going to tell him?"_

 _"Before I answer your question, let me ask you one of my own. Did you know you were gay before moving to Konoha or did something here set off the discovery?" Kakashi asked, brown eyes steady and assessing. Naruto could tell that they never missed much._

 _He felt the red creep down his ears and cover the back of his neck, "I realised I was gay when I looked at Sasuke and saw myself spending the rest of my life with him." Blue eyes met brown, the emotion in them raw, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"_

 _"It's what I was expecting." Kakashi conceded, "I'm not going to tell him." He watched relief flood the blond's features before continuing, "I suggest you do, though. You're underestimating your value to my ward. He cares about you, likely as much, if not more, than you do about him."_

 _Naruto shook his head, smiling slightly, "I know I'm important to him. I'd probably tie with Itachi in his books, and I know that's a big deal; but Sasuke doesn't see me the way I see him. He hasn't…considered it yet. I don't want to push him."_

 _Kakashi snorted, "Sasuke is stubborn, Naruto. He's lost many people precious to him, and as it stands, you're already too precious in his eyes. He isn't going to 'consider' anything himself. As long as you're at his side in some manner, he'll be content. The question is, when will that stop being enough for you?" Not giving Naruto time to respond, the older man opened his door and grinned up at a silently fuming Sasuke, "All fixed."_

"I didn't believe him at the time, but after last night I know Kakashi is right. Sasuke isn't going to take the next step unless I push him. In order to know how far I can push, I need to know what exactly happened with your family." Naruto said quietly after giving the gist of his conversation with the Uchihas' guardian. He met Itachi's contemplative gaze, "Will you tell me?"

Itachi closed his eyes for a moment, then sighed before standing and beginning to leave the room, "We should go into my study in case Sasuke wakes up while we're talking. He wouldn't take too kindly to the topic of our conversation."

Once they were ensconced in the private study, Itachi moved to stand before his desk, leaning back against it while Naruto took a seat in one of the plush armchairs before it. He stared at the closed door, seeming to gather his thoughts before he began to speak.

"My parents didn't marry for love, but they respected each other, and as the years passed, they grew to love one another. The Uchiha family as a whole isn't big on emotions; they tamper with the ability to make good business decisions, and so they're considered to be somewhat of an inconvenience. My mother wasn't an Uchiha by blood though, so she was raised differently, it's likely why my father was able to fall in love with her." Itachi paused, "When I was born, my parents were obviously thrilled. They had an heir, a boy, and with that the bloodline was secured. I was raised the Uchiha way, and while my mother didn't seem too approving of the family teachings, she didn't interfere. Sasuke was born five years after me, and by that time I was little more than a robot." A grim smile curved his lips here as he met Naruto's gaze, "You see, I've always excelled in everything I've done, and shutting down my emotions was no different. I closed myself off from feeling everything and I'd have likely lived my entire life in that manner if Sasuke hadn't come when he had." The smile turned soft and dark eyes filled with love, "Suddenly I was an elder brother, someone he looked up to, someone he wanted to emulate, and the thought of having his adorably cheerful personality crushed by the weight of Uchiha teachings made me furious. I sheltered him from the rest of the family, and my mother took my side. Both of our arguments were the same — the Uchiha had their emotionless heir, Sasuke could be spared. Father saw how much it meant to us, and so he conceded, and by doing so left the other family elders with no choice but to agree." Dark eyes grew cold, "That was when the murders began."

Naruto stiffened, "Murders?" He'd known Sasuke's parents were dead, but the Uchiha had never talked about the situation and Naruto had never asked. Murders. That meant someone had intentionally killed Sasuke's family. A chill passed through Naruto's spine, and he shuddered slightly.

Itachi watched his reaction impassively before continuing, "The Hokage before Tsunade followed her style of governing, but he had a partner who dabbled in the darker side of the law. The Uchiha family was the most powerful family in the Land of Fire, and we had access to deadly personnel who helped protect the country, but could just as easily destroy it. That's how Danzou saw it anyway. Without the Hokage's knowledge, Danzou began assassinating members of the Uchiha family. One by one, members of our family disappeared over the course of seven years. Once we recognised the pattern and realised who was behind the killings, my father ought to have gone to the Hokage for aid, but Uchiha pride is not one to be underestimated." Itachi let out a bitter laugh, "My father played right into Danzou's hands, gathering the security personnel around our compound to protect our family; Sasuke was eight at the time and the two of us had lost countless cousins to the mindless killings. Danzou presented my father's actions as evidence that the Uchihas were getting ready to stage a coup, and in the Hokage's defence, I suppose with only Danzou's information to go on compounded with my father's refusal to meet and talk to him, the evidence was pretty damning. He gave the order to have our family destroyed, but he made it clear that the children were to be spared."

Naruto's heart stuttered, "Y-You're joking." He breathed, "T-That…oh my god!" He doubled over, wrapping his arms around his stomach and shutting his eyes tightly. He hoped this Danzou fucker was dead, because if he wasn't, Naruto was going to kill him. "Tell me that motherfucker is dead." He growled, not recognising his own voice, blue eyes flashed with fierce hatred and anger as they met Itachi's gaze.

"Danzou thought he'd got away with it. The Uchiha family was now made up of nothing more than squabbling toddlers, frightened children and inexperienced teenagers. He expected to be put in charge of our company and planned to stage his own coup to gain the title of Hokage, but he didn't account for Kakashi." Itachi continued, as if he hadn't heard Naruto speak, "Kakashi had been my father's closest friend's son, and he was seven years older to me. He'd grown up watching over Sasuke and I, and he likely felt as strongly about what had happened to our family as you obviously do. He hadn't been able to convince my father to go to the Hokage, but he refused to let Danzou get away with what he'd done. Kakashi marched me into the Hokage's office and I exposed everything. I was only thirteen, but I had been an Uchiha heir since the moment I'd drawn breath. Deceit, deception and political warfare were things I had been well-educated in by the time I was five. I had watched everything unfold and knew exactly why the events had happened the way that they had. With my testimony, Danzou was put to death, but the damage had already been done. Our parents were dead, our family was scattered, and Sasuke's innocence was gone." Itachi closed his eyes, running a hand over his face as he sighed wearily, "The Hokage began making arrangements to step down and tracked down Tsunade to ask her to take his place — obviously she had to win the people's approval, but she had your father to help her with that. I was named heir to the Uchiha Corporation and as an apology and a sign of good faith, the Land of Fire signed a fifty-year contract with us. Kakashi took care of the day-to-day running of the company until I finished high school and I began running the company part-time while getting my university education at the local college. I officially took over when I turned twenty-one, and now, here we are."

Naruto stared at the floor, his mind processing everything he had just been told. He tried, for a second, to put himself in Sasuke's shoes. A five-year-old whose family had begun to vanish one-by-one for no fault of their own. A seven-year-old who didn't understand anything other than the fact that his parents and brother could be taken from him at any moment. An eight-year-old who had to watch his family being killed by the order of someone who was meant to be protecting them. He shut his eyes tightly, a pained sound leaving his lips, "It's not fair. Why did this happen to both of you?" Naruto wondered softly, an ache resounding in his chest. Tears filled his eyes and spilt over, and he didn't have the heart to stop them.

He didn't see Itachi's expression soften with fondness as the Uchiha slowly made his way to crouch in front of Naruto. He put his hands on the boy's shoulders and squeezed, "I knew the moment I saw you that you were going to change our lives, Naruto. And you already have. We always had Kakashi, but now we have your parents too, and this is as close to a happy family as we've ever had the chance to experience. You've made Sasuke smile, you've made him _feel_ and that's a feat even I couldn't manage — there's just too much Uchiha in me. You were also one of the first people to make me feel anything aside from Kakashi and Sasuke, though I'll admit, your mother and father have their places in my heart now as well. You've brought nothing but light into our lives, and I know you'll continue to do so. Sasuke is crazy about you, take my word for it." Itachi said firmly, drawing blue eyes up to meet his gaze, "He's just afraid to see it. You need to make sure he knows there's nothing to fear."

Naruto let out a shuddering breath, eyes lighting with determination, "I'll do it. He's not going to know what's hit him." Both he and Itachi exchanged grins before he threw his arms around the older Uchiha, drawing him into a tight hug, "I've always wanted an older sibling, you know."

Itachi stiffened for a moment before returning the embrace, "I'm glad you came into our lives, Naruto."

The two of them had separated, and Naruto was in the midst of wiping his eyes free of tears when there was a cursory knock at the study door before it opened, "Itachi, is Naruto—what's going on here?"

Itachi stood gracefully, knowing that from the angle in which he stood, Sasuke couldn't tell that Naruto had been crying. "Naruto dropped by surprisingly early this morning, and since you weren't up, we began talking." His black eyes shifted to the clock on his wall, noting that only half an hour had gone by, "You are up early as well. What's the occasion?"

Sasuke frowned slightly, unsure of how to answer the question without sounding crazy, "I just felt like…I knew Naruto was here, I think." He glanced to his best friend who was now standing and looking to him, noting his wearied expression, "What's wrong, usuratonkachi?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nothing, bastard. Have you had breakfast yet?"

The Uchiha's frown deepened at the deflection, his brows furrowing in the slightest hint of concern, "Naruto."

Naruto made his way to his best friend, stopping in front of him to reach out and place a hand on his cheek, his thumb brushing along a high cheekbone, making black eyes widen slightly. The blond met the surprised gaze with a steady one of his own, smiling slightly, "It's really nothing, Sasuke. Come on, I'll make you breakfast."

He let his hand drop and walked past Sasuke to make his way to the kitchen, leaving the younger Uchiha stunned speechless, standing in the study doorway. Having watched the entire exchange, Itachi smirked before moving to follow Naruto, noting the confusion in his brother's eyes as he passed. It was only going to be a matter of time before Sasuke was confronted with how much Naruto really meant to him. Itachi was going to enjoy watching this new aspect of their relationship unfold.

* * *

 **I really want to hear what you all think of the Uchiha's back-story. Leave me a review and let me know :)**

 **And things are finally moving in a romantic direction for Naruto and Sasuke.**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

Patience had never been Naruto's strongpoint. He'd told Sasuke he was gay on a Friday night. He'd spoken to Itachi and learnt about the Uchiha family history on a Saturday morning. He intended to be able to call Sasuke his by the following Monday morning.

Saturday afternoon lunch was held at the Namikaze's that week, and having spent all morning with the Uchihas, Naruto walked over to his house with them at around eleven. Kushina put them to work immediately, cutting vegetables, keeping an eye on the sauce, doing a few leftover chores around the house. By the time Minato came in from an impromptu meeting with the Hokage, lunch was almost ready and Sasuke, Naruto, Itachi and Kushina were sitting around the dining table chatting as the lasagna cooked in the oven.

"Hello boys, Itachi." Minato greeted, reaching out to ruffle Naruto and Sasuke's hair before giving Itachi a nod and a smile.

Naruto sniggered at the way Sasuke's hair fell haphazardly after Minato's hand left it, reaching out to smoothen it out, ignoring the way his best friend stiffened at the overfamiliar gesture. "You should be honoured, Dad. Sasuke usually bites the head off anyone who messes with his duck-butt hairstyle." As he spoke, he let his nails lightly rake through Sasuke's scalp, smirking inwardly as this drew the slightest of reactions from the Uchiha.

Kushina studied the younger Uchiha contemplatively, "Duck-butt. I never noticed it before, but you're right. It does stick up like a duck's butt, doesn't it? Is that intentional, Sasuke?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto, trying not to notice the way the hand in his hair slid down to rest at the back of his neck after fixing his hair, "Hn." He knew his cheeks were slightly flushed with colour and cursed himself for allowing it to happen.

"It happened by accident." Itachi supplied, his dark eyes dancing with glee at the way Naruto's actions were so obviously discomfiting his brother, "Sasuke got a really bad haircut when he was a child, and it made his hair stick up like that. Mother liked it though, so she just continued to have his hair cut that way. It doesn't actually take much effort on his part, as long as the hairstyle remains the same, the hair just sticks up."

"Can we stop discussing this?" Sasuke grumbled, narrowing his eyes at his brother now.

Minato chuckled, "How's school going? Naruto says your student council activities are going to be picking up soon."

Sasuke nodded, shivering slightly when the action had Naruto's thumb brushing against the back of his ear, "We need to begin fund-raising for senior prom." He rolled his eyes, "Ino and Sakura have this extravagant nightmare planned, and we're going to need a lot of money to pull it off."

"Is Sakura still chasing after you?" Itachi asked nonchalantly, getting up to go check the oven.

Kushina sat up, clearly interested, "A girl is interested in you, Sasuke? Do you like her?"

"I have no interest in her or anyone." Sasuke said firmly, "She's ridiculously persistent though. It's beginning to piss me off."

Minato noticed the way his son's hand remained casually resting on the back of his best friend's neck. When he caught Naruto's eye and raised a brow questioningly, his son turned red and allowed his hand to drop from Sasuke. Minato didn't fail to see the way Sasuke immediately looked to Naruto, his dark eyes lingering on his son's face in a way that was entirely new.

Clearly he'd missed something.

He made his way to the kitchen while Kushina carried on the conversation with the best friends and went to stand at a counter next to Itachi.

"How long has that been going on?"

Itachi gave him a slightly mischievous look, "I think you've known your son's had feelings for my brother since Day One."

Minato shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, though his lips quirked in a small smile, "He's being pretty open about it now. I'm surprised Kushina hasn't picked up on it. Are they a couple?"

"Naruto is wearing down Sasuke. I'd give it twenty-four hours." Itachi said with a smirk.

"I'm guessing you had something to do with this." Minato mused, studying the young man.

Itachi straightened, leaning back against the adjacent counter, "Naruto came to me this morning and asked about what happened to our parents. He wanted to understand why Sasuke couldn't acknowledge what's so obviously present between them."

Minato pursed his lips. When he'd heard about the gross wrongdoing done to the Uchiha family, he'd been appalled and pissed off. The thought of children being left without stable homes, all because of one man's greed…it was unforgivable. He'd agreed to help Tsunade win her place as Hokage because he'd wanted to play his part in ensuring there would never be another Danzou in a position of power. It was also the reason he'd agreed to step up as Tsunade's right-hand man when Jiraiya had died. Her second option had been a man named Orochimaru and while he wasn't as ruthless as Danzou, he had a twisted sense of justice. Minato wasn't about to let that man have any kind of influence on the governing of a nation.

He reached out to clasp Itachi's shoulder, "I never knew your parents, but I've come to view you as a part of my family in the last month, and I'm proud of the man you are, Itachi. I'm sure your parents would have been as well."

The way the Uchiha's face lit up with happiness reminded Minato that for all his maturity, Itachi was still incredibly young. He'd had his childhood stolen from him, but Minato was going to do his part in ensuring the two young men who'd stumbled into his family now knew they had people to come home to and a place in his family. Itachi placed his hand over Minato's on his shoulder and squeezed, smiling slightly, "Thank you."

The oven timer went off, making both men jump and laugh.

The rest of the afternoon went off as usual. Everyone wandered off to do their own thing around three; Itachi went back home to finish a book he'd been reading, Minato decided to watch some TV, Kushina went up for a nap, leaving Naruto and Sasuke to lounge in the backyard. It was a nice day out and Naruto was spread out on the grass, sunbathing, his head under the shade, resting on Sasuke's lap as he leaned back against a tree. Sasuke hesitated only a second before allowing his hands to comb gently through golden strands, drawing a contented sigh from Naruto as he seemed to drift off into a half-asleep state.

Sasuke wasn't an idiot. He could very clearly read the signs his best friend was sending; he knew what Naruto wanted. What he didn't know was how he felt about the whole thing.

Naruto was gay, and he definitely wanted to pursue something with Sasuke. What did the Uchiha want though? Naruto was his best friend, the person he cared about as much as he did about Itachi. Did he really want to risk ruining that by going down this path Naruto seemed insistent they explore? Then again, what's to say things wouldn't be ruined if he refused Naruto? His words from the previous night rang in his mind.

 _"I have you. That's more than enough for me. I can't imagine sharing so much of myself with someone else."_

He had never connected with someone the way he had with Naruto. It was instinctual, natural, and something he wanted with him for the rest of his life. Was Naruto his chance for a real romantic relationship?

"Sasuke?"

Dark eyes blinked as Sasuke refocused on the present, looking down to meet serious blue eyes. Naruto reached up caress the side of his face, looking a bit lost in thought, "You're so beautiful."

Despite himself, Sasuke felt his cheeks heat and he glared at his usuratonkachi, "Whatever is going through your mind, it doesn't give you an excuse to call me such stupid things. I'm a man. Men can't be beautiful."

Instead of getting annoyed, Naruto smiled his brilliant smile, and Sasuke felt his heart seize in his chest for a moment, "You are though. The first time I saw you…I thought you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."

Sasuke's eyes widened at the revelation, his hand grasping golden hair just a bit too tightly, "Naruto." He breathed, and he could hear the helplessness in his own voice, "What are you doing?"

Naruto reached up to take the hand in his hair and bring it down to his lips, brushing kiss onto the palm, "I'm telling you that I want you. I've wanted you from the moment I saw you, and I know somewhere deep inside me that I'll want you for the rest of my life." Blue eyes grew somber, "I know you've lost too many people you cared about, and I'm telling you that you're never going to lose me. No matter what happens between us, I'm not going to leave you alone." Sasuke's breath hitched as Naruto sat up and his free hand cupped Sasuke's cheek, "Will you be mine?"

Sasuke stared at Naruto, taking in his golden hair, his tanned face, the slightly paler scars that stood out on either cheek like whiskers, the strong jaw and slightly crooked nose, and the raw emotion in those blue eyes. It wasn't the exact emotion he'd seen that first day, but it was almost there. He was almost there.

His breath leaving him in a rush, he reached out to curl a hand around the back of Naruto's neck, drawing the blond forward to press his lips to that warm, slightly parted mouth. The sharp inhale of breath he ignored as he pressed forward, tentatively swiping his tongue along the inside of Naruto's bottom lip, making the blond let out a low moan as his lips parted further and he pushed himself closer to Sasuke. Smiling into the kiss now, feeling more confident, Sasuke allowed his tongue to map out the inside of the blond's mouth. Naruto's sea and salt smell permeated into his very being, mixing with sugar and warmth in a way that made him taste absolutely divine and Sasuke simply wanted to drink him in. His free hand wrapped itself around Naruto's waist, pulling the blond to straddle him before he drew back just enough to allow them a chance to catch their breath.

Naruto's eyes were blown wide, his face flushed, his ears endearingly red, and he was looking at Sasuke like he wasn't quite sure what had just happened. Sasuke couldn't help his low chuckle as he leaned forward to take a red earlobe into his mouth, sucking on it lightly before nibbling the skin behind it, "Usuratonkachi. If anything, you're mine. Get your facts straight."

The delighted laugh that followed that declaration made Sasuke's day. Not that he'd ever admit to it.

* * *

"They're late." Shikamaru observed, glancing at his watch once more before stretching, "Waiting is such a drag."

"Naruto just texted saying they're on the way." Ino chuckled, "Do you ever feel like those two behave more like a couple than best friends?"

"They definitely fight like an old, married couple." Hinata said with a giggle.

"And it's like they have their own language!" Kiba exclaimed, "Do you know they have entire conversations without either of them opening their mouths?!"

"Not to mention, Naruto seems to be able to decipher Sasuke's grunts." Choji added.

"You all sound like you're okay with this. Naruto is obviously taking advantage of Sasuke's trust. We should warn Sasuke about his feelings." Sakura said, her lips twisted in a deep frown.

Neji snorted, "Whatever Naruto is feeling is definitely not one-sided, Sakura. Sasuke cares about him a lot more than even he realises."

"I think it's adorable." Tenten quipped from her place by the ticket booth, "The way the two of them just fit — anyone around them can see it if they bother to look."

"The ultimate love connection!" Lee agreed, nodding fiercely.

Sakura glanced around at her friends, "You think they're going to…what? Get together? You must be joking!"

Shikamaru caught her gaze, his eyes narrowing the slightest bit before he looked away and called out casually, "You certainly took your time. Five minutes later and we'd have missed the movie."

"Sorry!" Naruto's face was flushed and happiness radiated from his very being making everyone around him want to draw closer. They would have too if Sasuke hadn't stepped up to stand behind his best friend, his very stance warning people away. "Mom woke up from her nap in the mood to bake and she roped the bastard and I into it. By the time we finished we had to change and—"

"Breathe while you talk, usuratonkachi." Sasuke advised dryly, shaking his head in exasperation.

Naruto's laugh was breathless, and the smile he gave Sasuke was warmer than usual, though Shikamaru was probably the only one who noticed. He smirked inwardly as he cleared his throat, "Come on. You can tell us your excuse over dinner."

He allowed everyone to file past him into the theatre, signalling for Ino to go ahead before falling into step with Sasuke. Naruto was up ahead with Kiba and Hinata, laughing at something the Inuzuka was saying. Sasuke glanced sideways at his friend, the side of his lips quirking up, "As perceptive as ever."

Shikamaru snorted, "It took you long enough."

"Hn."

"Are you not going to tell people?" Shikamaru wondered softly.

Sasuke huffed out an exasperated breath, his dark eyes trained on the back of Naruto's head, "He doesn't know how to be discreet." He sounded almost…fond, "Besides, this isn't something I'm ashamed of."

"Well, I don't think anyone here is going to be all that surprised." Shikamaru said, glancing around the group, his eyes lingering on Sakura. Sasuke noticed.

"I thought she was getting over it." He said, scowling.

"Naruto showing up when he did stirred things up again, I guess. It's easy to move on when you think the other person doesn't want anyone. It's harder when you have to face that they just don't want you."

Sasuke smirked, "A little deep for you, don't you think?"

"It's troublesome, but I can manage to sympathise every now and then."

"Sasuke!" Both of them looked up to see Naruto standing in the line for drinks and popcorn, "What do you want?" He asked expectantly.

Shikamaru watched some of that silent communication Kiba had been talking about pass between them before Naruto's ears went red, "Just answer the question, bastard!"

Sasuke smirked, "Popcorn."

"Was that so hard?" Naruto grumbled as he turned away, showing Shikamaru that the back of his neck was red as well.

"You…you're really not planning to hide it, are you?" Shikamaru said, bemused. He could guess what hadn't been said between them.

Sasuke seemed to consider the question for a moment before shrugging, "I'm not going to tell anybody, and I don't think he will either. Whoever finds out, finds out."

"You two! Stop whispering there and come on! The movie is starting!" Ino called, waving the two of them over.

Sasuke went ahead, falling into step beside Naruto, and Shikamaru walked behind them watching the change in their body language. They'd always been incredibly in-sync with one another, but now it was at another level. Naruto's body immediately shifted to accommodate Sasuke's presence, even before the Uchiha had stepped up beside him. Sasuke's stance was more relaxed, especially around Naruto, and his hand made it a point to casually brush against the blond's hand, his shoulder, his back, his ear. They were fleeting touches that were easily missed but Naruto seemed aware of each and every single one of them.

As they took their seats for the movie, he noted that Sasuke had boxed Naruto into the seat against the wall and taken the spot beside him. At one point in the movie, Shikamaru had glanced over to find Sasuke's body angled in a way that Naruto was completely out of sight, his head bent down as if he were talking to the blond. Shikamaru chuckled softly; talking, right.

His suspicions were confirmed when the lights came on after the movie and Naruto's appearance was slightly more tousled than it had been before, and his sheer joy just a bit more obvious. It was Kiba who finally commented on it as they made their way to their cars in order to drive to dinner.

"Yo, Naruto, did something good happen?"

Naruto blinked, looking confused, "What? What do you mean?"

"I mean you've been grinning like a mad man all evening. What happened?" Kiba asked, studying his friend with interest.

Naruto chuckled, "Don't worry about it, dude. It's just been a really good day."

"Riiiight." Kiba drawled, "Just what were you baking with your mom? Because I think you're on something."

Everyone laughed including Naruto, "I really don't know what you're talking about. I've been like this all day, right bastard?"

All eyes turned to Sasuke who just shrugged, his expression impassive, "Hn."

"As eloquent as ever." Kiba deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

They stopped beside their three cars. Hinata, Neji, Tenten and Lee had come in one car, Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura and Kiba in another, Sasuke and Naruto in the third. "So, where are we going for dinner?"

"Let's go for ra—"

"No." Sasuke said firmly, slapping his hand over Naruto's mouth.

Tenten chuckled, "I could go for a pizza."

"Pizza sounds good." Ino agreed, "Shall we meet up at the place near Uchiha Corp.?"

"I haven't seen Uchiha Corp. yet." Naruto voiced, as if only just realising the fact.

"Do you want to?" Sasuke asked, arching a single brow.

Naruto met his gaze and nodded, his expression serious. Shikamaru looked to Sasuke, wondering what he'd say. He knew for a fact that the Uchiha hadn't stepped foot inside the building since his parents' death. There had been a field trip arranged in the ninth grade and Sasuke had outright refused to go on it; no one could convince him otherwise.

Before Sasuke could respond, Sakura spoke up, her voice taking on a scolding tone, "What are you thinking, asking Sasuke for something like that Naruto?! You're new here so you don't know what all he's gone through! Sasuke doesn't like going to that building!"

Everyone froze, looking from Sakura to Naruto, and finally to Sasuke. Naruto flushed at Sakura's words and took a small step back, "I didn't—" He cut himself off as Sasuke stepped up behind him, placing a hand on his back to steady him, shooting Sakura a ruthless glare before bending to talk into Naruto's ear. Shikamaru stood closest to Naruto so he could just about make out the words, "It's late now, and a Saturday. Next week."

Naruto's smile returned in full force as he nodded, "Okay!" The blond glanced around the group, "Does anyone want to ride with us to the restaurant?"

"We'll come." Kiba said, glancing at Hinata who nodded as well. Both of them made their way over to Sasuke's BMW while Neji, Tenten and Lee climbed into their car.

Shikamaru unlocked his own and climbed in, waiting until both girls were inside and the doors shut before he spoke, looking through the rearview mirror to meet Sakura's broken gaze.

"If you want to remain Sasuke's friend, you need to get over whatever feelings you have for him. Or at the very least, not attack Naruto with your petty jealousy." Shikamaru said, his voice hard.

Ino turned partly in her seat and met her best friend's gaze, her own sympathetic, "I know it's hard, but Naruto is a great guy, and he obviously makes Sasuke happy. If you keep acting this way, you're not just going to lose Sasuke as a friend. Kiba and Hinata are pretty loyal to Naruto too."

"I just don't understand it." Sakura whispered, tears now streaming down her cheeks, "H-How could Sasuke choose _him_ over me?"

"You were never a choice, Sakura." Shikamaru knew he was being harsh, but it had to be said, "Sasuke turned you down long before Naruto showed up. It's not a matter of you _or_ him. It's just him."

"T-They're together, aren't they?" She asked, her voice trembling.

Shikamaru reversed the car from the parking spot, knowing Ino's eyes were on him. He sighed, "You know I find gossip troublesome."

Ino smiled, reaching over to tug on his earlobe affectionately, "You're a good friend." She glanced back at Sakura, "You need to give up on him, Sakura."

Bowing her head, Sakura let out a shuddering breath, "Shikamaru, could you just drop me home? I-I can't sit there and watch them tonight." She held up a hand to stall Ino's protest, "I know I'll have to face them eventually, just…I need some time."

"We have our first fund-raising event next Friday, Sakura." Shikamaru said seriously, "It'll be a pain if you're planning to avoid Sasuke all week. He's our president, and you're the secretary."

"I know that. I won't make things difficult, I swear. I just need some time to…process all this."

When Shikamaru and Ino showed up at the restaurant sans Sakura, Naruto's face visibly fell. Shikamaru cleared his throat, suggesting that the others went in and got a table, saying that Sasuke, Naruto and himself would follow shortly. As soon as they were alone, Naruto brought his hands up to cover his face, groaning, "This is all my fault. You guys were friends long before I showed up and I just—"

"Usuratonkachi. Shut up." Sasuke said firmly, pulling one of Naruto's hands away from his face and interlacing their fingers, "She had no right to talk to you like that."

"Sasuke's right." Shikamaru said, meeting Naruto's disheartened blue eyes, "Her behaviour toward you so far has been childish and fairly unacceptable."

"She likes Sasuke!" Naruto defended, "It's not like I can't understand how that feels." He turned red as he spoke, but his gaze remained determined.

"What you feel for Sasuke and what she feels are two very different things, Naruto. You and Sasuke know each other on a level not all of us can comprehend, while Sakura had, at best, superficial conversations with Sasuke. Don't confuse the intensity of your feelings with hers, because hers probably pale in comparison. This was her being petty, and being unable to give up. I spoke to her though, and she'll come around. Just give her some time." Shikamaru said gently, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezing.

Naruto shook his head, his blue eyes growing sad as he turned to meet Sasuke's gaze, "You said she was your friend. When you were telling me about everyone you said out of all of them you counted Ino, Shikamaru and Sakura as your friends and I ruined that."

Sasuke glanced at Shikamaru, and getting the message, the other boy began to make his way into the restaurant. Out of the corner his eye he saw Sasuke reach out to tap Naruto on the forehead with two fingers before leaning forward to rest his forehead against the blond's, "I don't need friends who make you sad. You're no good to me when you're not smiling."

Shikamaru smiled, just as he heard Naruto let out a shaky chuckle, "You're such a bastard."

Ino glanced to him expectantly as he sat down, "What? You guys haven't ordered yet?"

"We decided to wait. Where are Sasuke and Naruto?"

"Right here!" If Shikamaru hadn't seen the look in Naruto's eyes outside, he wouldn't have thought the blond had been upset just a few minutes before. He idly wondered how Naruto had gotten so good at hiding what he was feeling and why.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Sasuke sighed, sitting down in the empty seat beside him as Naruto took the seat opposite between Kiba and Hinata.

Shikamaru chuckled, "Everyone ready to order?"

* * *

 **And they're finally together :) Leave a review please! I love hearing from my readers.**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

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Naruto woke up on Sunday morning feeling nothing short of absolutely blissful. Sasuke was fast asleep curved along his back, his arms wrapped around Naruto's waist, his soft breaths fanning across the back of the blond's neck. He shifted slightly to look back, feeling his heart clench at the sight of Sasuke's face, beautiful and peaceful in slumber. He couldn't stop himself from reaching out and running a finger down the line of his nose, resting it lightly on his slightly parted pink lips. The fact that he knew how those lips felt, how the inside of Sasuke's mouth tasted, sent a thrill through him, making him grin widely.

A knock sounded on his room door making him glance over at his phone. Noon. No wonder his parents were trying to wake him up. "Naruto?" Minato's voice sounded from the other side of the door, "Itachi called asking if Sasuke was over here."

Shit! How could they have forgotten to text Itachi last night? He unlocked his phone, "Yeah, sorry! He's here. I'll send Itachi a text!"

"Alright. Next time remember to let him know. He worries." Minato reprimanded.

"I know, I know." He quickly dialled Itachi's number, looking down at Sasuke's still sleeping face, marvelling at the fact that the noise hadn't disturbed him. "Hello?"

"So he's there." Itachi said, sighing, "I know I was all for your seduction of my brother, blondie, but that doesn't give you permission to give me a heart attack."

"I'm sorry. We got back from dinner really late, and I'd made myself get up really early so I could have that talk with you, and Sasuke had been up early too. We both just ended up falling in bed and sleeping. I didn't realise Sasuke forgot to text you." Naruto said, wincing at the relief in Itachi's voice.

"Next time you send the message whether you think he has or not. I was 95% sure he was at your house since his car is parked outside, that's why I left it so long before I called. I knew neither you or Sasuke would be awake. So," Naruto could hear the smile in Itachi's voice, "does this mean you've succeeded in seducing my brother?"

Naruto laughed, "I didn't have to do much actually. He kissed me yesterday afternoon."

"Who are you talking to so loudly?" Sasuke grumbled, feeling for Naruto's face with his hand and pushing it away once he'd found it.

Itachi snorted in amusement, "I hear Sasuke getting up. Tell him Kakashi is coming over today, and after hearing this news he's going to want you to join us for dinner, Naruto."

"I'll let him know. I still need to tell my parents." Naruto said, reaching out to poke Sasuke in the forehead like the Uchiha usually did to him, only he did it repeatedly until a single black eye opened to glare at him. "Okay, he's up. We'll see you in a bit, Itachi!"

Sasuke pounced as soon as the line went dead, making Naruto laugh as he fell onto his back with Sasuke on top of him, "You're so grouchy in the morning."

"Hn." Sasuke said, taking in the bright blue eyes and the warm smile that was there just for him, before leaning down to seal their lips together. He ignored the weird taste of morning breath, focusing on the underlying taste of Naruto, kissing him deeply. Naruto uttered a low groan, his arms wrapping themselves around Sasuke's shoulders as his legs curled around his waist, rocking his hips so as to line their erections up to rub against each other. Sasuke broke away from the kiss to hiss at the contact, just as Naruto moaned loudly.

"Boys, do you want me to begin implementing an open-door policy?"

Kushina's bright voice had both of them freezing before they scrambled away from each other, looking to the door, sighing in relief when they saw that it was still closed. "Is it safe to come in now?"

After making sure his mother's voice had indeed rid both of them of their morning wood, Naruto called for her to enter, blushing furiously as he did. Kushina looked from one boy to the other before clapping her hands happily and pulling them both into a hug, "I'm so happy for you two! I just knew something was going on!"

Minato huffed an amused breath, "Weren't you surprised when I told you about this yesterday?"

"I only pretended to be surprised." Kushina insisted, shooting her husband a glare, "Mothers always know these things about their sons."

"Wait, Dad, how did you know?" Naruto asked, pulling away from his mother to look to his father, confused.

"I spoke to Itachi." Minato explained.

Now it was Sasuke's turn to pull away from Kushina, "Itachi knew?"

Naruto let out a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, I kind of talked to him about it yesterday morning."

Sasuke scowled, "So that's what you two were doing in his study." He suddenly stiffened, "I didn't text Itachi last night."

"No kidding, bastard." Naruto said, throwing a pillow at Sasuke which the Uchiha neatly caught, "He was worried, but I took care of it. He said to tell you Kakashi is coming over today. Oh, and I'm invited for dinner with you guys."

"That might be a problem." Minato interrupted, frowning slightly, "Tsunade called us over for dinner as well. She included Itachi and Sasuke in her invitation."

"Gran asked us over for dinner?" Naruto asked, perking up, "Well, just ask her if Kakashi can come too. I'm sure she won't have a problem with it."

Sasuke's eyes widened, "Wait, the _Hokage_ is the god-grandmother you were referring to?!"

"Well, yeah." Naruto said nonchalantly, shrugging, "I've known her since I was like, three."

"You know Tsunade doesn't like it when you call her your grandmother, Naruto." Kushina sighed, shaking her head.

"She's old enough." Naruto insisted.

Sasuke watched them argue, trying to process the fact that they were possibly eating dinner with the Hokage when a hand clapped down on his shoulder, startling him. He glanced up at Minato's amused face, "You okay?"

"Itachi told me when you all first moved in that you were going to be working for the Hokage, but I didn't realise you knew her so well." Sasuke admitted, running a hand through his hair.

"Tsunade and Jiraiya were my godparents. My parents passed away when I was still quite young so they raised me, and they loved Naruto like a grandson. When Jiraiya passed away last year it was hard on all of us, so when Tsunade asked me to step in, I couldn't say no. I didn't want to move Naruto in his final year of school; he'd been moved around enough, but I guess this was all kind of fated, wasn't it?" Minato said lightly, smiling down at Sasuke.

The young Uchiha glanced at Naruto's laughing face as he argued with his mother and let out a slightly shaky breath, "I'm so glad you moved here."

Minato's expression softened as he pulled Sasuke into a hug he wasn't expecting, "We are too, Sasuke. I know Itachi can see a change in you because of Naruto, and the same way, I can see a change in him because of you. Naruto…because of my job, he's never really felt like he belonged anywhere. He was always searching for a place and I could tell that first evening when he saw you through the window that he'd finally found it. So, thank you for that."

Sasuke blinked at the information and filed it away to think about later, allowing himself to relax into the embrace. He couldn't remember his father too well, but he suspected that if he'd ever hugged him, this was what it would have felt like.

"Does that hug mean that you approve?" Naruto's teasing voice cut through the atmosphere like a knife and Minato pulled away to reach out and swat his son on the back of his head.

"Way to ruin our moment, kiddo." Minato said, shaking his head.

Sasuke suddenly found himself with his arms full of usuratonkachi as Naruto held him almost possessively, "The only one allowed to have moments with him is me." He said firmly, and it made Sasuke huff in amusement and fondness before he lifted his head to bite down on the blond's shoulder.

"Ouch!" Naruto cried, letting him go and backing away, pressing his hand to his neck, "That hurt, bastard!"

"You were suffocating me."

"You bit me!"

"You weren't complaining when I bit you ye—"

"Sasuke! My parents are in the room!" Naruto cried in alarm, shooting forward to cover Sasuke's mouth with his hand.

Sasuke grinned under the palm, and let his tongue lick a strip up it, making Naruto let go as fast as he'd latched on. Blue eyes narrowed at the Uchiha as lips curved into something resembling a pout, "You're such a bastard."

He leaned forward and said, too softly for Kushina and Minato to hear, "Your bastard though, right?"

A wide grin split Naruto's face as he decided he'd been considerate of his parents' sensibilities for long enough and threw himself at Sasuke, crashing their lips together. It was painful when their teeth hit against each other, but they quickly found the right angle, Sasuke's arms going around Naruto to hold him close. When they finally pulled back for breath, they were alone in the room. Sasuke's hands moved up to cup Naruto's cheeks, his thumbs brushing back and forth over the whisker-like scars, "I could tell last night that you knew more than I'd realised about my past. Knowing now that you spoke to Itachi yesterday, it makes sense."

"I needed to know." Naruto murmured, his eyes half-lidded, "When we talked on Friday night, it was almost like you were ignoring what we could be together. I needed to know if that was because of your past, or because you honestly couldn't see me that way."

Sasuke rested his forehead against Naruto's, sighing; he supposed he could understand. He was actually grateful to Itachi; he didn't think he could have relived his past that way.

His eyes lingered on Naruto's scars and his mind went back to Minato's words to him, and he leaned forward to brush a kiss to each of the six scars, listening as Naruto's breath hitched each time. "I want to know the story behind these. I want to know your story." He kissed the blond softly, feeling the way his lips trembled as he did, "It doesn't have to be now, but I want to know."

Naruto nodded, closing his eyes, "I want you to know too." He breathed, his hands finding Sasuke's and squeezing them in a vice grip, "I'll tell you. Soon."

Satisfied, Sasuke pried his hands from Naruto's and pulled him into his arms instead, lying back in bed holding the blond close. They had a long day ahead of them, but that was okay because they'd be together, and Sasuke could handle anything if Naruto was at his side.

* * *

 **I'm away for the weekend so you get your weekly chapter early! :) Leave a review please!**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

Please note that this story is centred around a **male couple** who will eventually be sleeping together - if you find that offensive or disturbing, then this might not be the right reading material for you.

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"I'll admit when I agreed to let you guys choose the restaurant I didn't think I'd be eating dinner _here_." Kakashi said dryly, glancing around the entrance to the Hokage's home.

"We had a personal invitation from the Hokage herself. We couldn't very well decline." Itachi said quietly so only Kakashi and the two boys behind him could hear him.

"Just be glad Naruto managed to get you one as well, otherwise you'd be spending the evening at home, alone." Sasuke said dryly.

Kakashi got a mischievous glint in his eye as he looked to Naruto, "Trying to impress the in-laws, huh? I'll admit this was a smooth move."

He watched with some glee as Naruto turned red, "I-In-laws?! The bastard and I aren't getting married!" Blue eyes darted to said bastard who didn't look ruffled by the teasing. Sasuke was so used to Kakashi trying to get a rise out of everything and everyone around him that he'd stopped reacting years ago.

"Not yet anyway." Kakashi said lightly, chuckling as the red crept up along the blond's cheeks. This was such fun. He was glad Sasuke had chosen someone who was so susceptible to his brand of amusement.

"Usuratonkachi." Sasuke grabbed Naruto's chin and forced blue eyes to meet black, "Stop reacting. It's what he wants."

Kakashi huffed out an annoyed breath, even as he smiled inwardly at the casual way Sasuke moved his hand up from Naruto's chin to finger the side of the blond's ear, drawing a shudder from him, "Aw, come on. Don't ruin my fun, Sasuke."

Itachi chuckled, "My little brother is quite protective over blondie, Kakashi."

"Hey! I can protect myself!" Naruto protested loudly.

"Of course you can." Kakashi agreed a bit patronisingly.

As expected, Naruto's expression filled with angry indignation, and Sasuke sighed, shaking his head in the universal sign of 'why do I bother?'. Naruto launched into a tirade of all the ways he knew how to defend himself and how he could kick Kakashi's ass, and it was in the midst of this tirade that Tsunade finally entered the room.

She stood at the doorway, watching Naruto huff and puff over something while everyone watched him with varying degrees of fondness and amusement in their expressions. Minato and Kushina were chuckling to themselves, and the grey-haired man Naruto was directing his words to looked beyond amused. Tsunade allowed her eyes to move and rest on the two other boys in the room. One was as tall as Minato, while the other was closer to Naruto's height, just a few inches shorter than the head of the Namikaze family. Both had pale skin, black hair and black eyes, and both were incredibly handsome. The Uchiha brothers, Tsunade guessed, taking them in as her mind went back to the conversation she had had with her predecessor before stepping up to take his role.

 _"Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha." Hiruzen Sarutobi said, placing the photos in front of Tsunade, "Itachi is nineteen now, and Sasuke should be fourteen."_

 _Tsunade reached out to brush a finger over the stone-faced younger Uchiha's picture, "Naruto's age. He doesn't look it." She murmured, comparing this boy to her perpetually smiling blond-haired, blue-eyed god-grandson._

 _"The Land of Fire has done them a huge grievance, one we can't begin to repay. Danzou's actions left the two of them and fifteen others without parents. Itachi and Sasuke were lucky in that Kakashi was already twenty, so he had no problem getting custody of them immediately. Some of the others were not able to stay with their siblings." Hiruzen said quietly, closing his eyes._

 _"You want me to keep an eye on them?" Tsunade asked, raising a single brow, "You think they're a danger to us?"_

 _"Revenge can be a powerful motivator." Hiruzen admitted, "But I don't think it's something we have to worry about with these two. Itachi was Fugaku's heir, and so the future head of the Uchiha family. Even at the age of thirteen he had a clear sense of right and wrong, and he knew his father had erred by not trusting me enough to come to me. He loves his brother; he won't do anything to jeopardise his safety."_

 _"I don't understand." Tsunade said, looking away from the pictures, clenching her hands, "Why are you telling me all this if there's nothing you need me to do about them?"_

 _"I'm telling you this so you understand how easy it is to ruin hundreds of lives with a single rash decision." Hiruzen said sharply, his brown eyes meeting Tsunade's hazel gaze, "I will go to my grave regretting the future I ended up creating for these boys and their kin, and that's all I can do, regret, because there's no way to turn back time and change my actions. Think about who you place your trust in Tsunade, and even then, don't trust blindly. You exist to protect the people of the Land of Fire, a duty I failed in spectacularly. When you become Hokage, remind yourself of these two and how I was responsible for making them orphans. It'll ensure that you never make the same mistakes I did."_

Tsunade let out a long breath, noting the slight smiles on both Uchihas' faces and the fondness in their gazes as they watched Naruto and felt a knot that had existed in her heart since she'd taken up the Hokage seat loosen slightly. Hiruzen was right, the Land of Fire would never be able to repay the Uchihas for the great wrong it had done them, but she was glad to see that the brothers had still managed to find some degree of happiness.

"I should have known all this noise could have been nothing other than my brat." Tsunade drawled, her heels clicking on the stone floor as she made her way to the group.

Naruto's face lit up as he turned to face her, "Gran!" He cried out, rushing forward to hug her.

Tsunade allowed the contact, but hit the blond head once it was close enough, "What have I told you about calling me that?"

Naruto just gave her a cheeky grin, "I told Sasuke you were my god-grandmother." He said, his blue eyes darting to the younger Uchiha who rolled his eyes at the statement.

"There's no such thing as a god-grandmother." Tsunade said firmly, extracting herself from the blond's arms.

"Hn."

Naruto whirled around to glare at the younger Uchiha, "Don't look so smug, bastard! Just because she agrees with you doesn't mean you're right!"

Minato sighed, "Can you two try and behave for one evening? I thought now that you were kissing these kind of arguments would stop."

Tsunade stiffened as Naruto turned red, "Dad! You don't just _say_ things like that! Come on!"

"Now, now. I think Minato has every right to say these things. From what he told me on the ride over, you had no qualms actually _doing_ said kissing in front of your parents." Kakashi said, seriously.

Naruto let out a growl as he walked up to Sasuke, clearly furious, "I _told_ you it wasn't a good idea to let them ride in the same car!"

"Hn." Was all the younger Uchiha said, but Tsunade could make out the light dusting of pink on his pale cheeks.

"I apologise on their behalf, Lady Hokage. Blondie usually has better manners." Itachi said, reaching out to hit the blond on the back of his head, "Sasuke was right. If you stop reacting, Kakashi will get bored and stop teasing you."

Naruto reached back to rub the sore spot, pouting slightly, "But he—"

"Usuratonkachi." Sasuke met that blue gaze before darting his eyes around the room at everyone, his lips curved in a slight frown. Naruto sighed, "Okay, okay." He stepped forward to kiss Sasuke's cheek, "Sorry, bastard."

Sasuke covered Naruto's face with his hand and pushed him away, his frown becoming a scowl, and Naruto and Itachi laughed.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Tsunade said finally, looking around the room in astonishment before her eyes landed on Minato, "I thought they were just best friends?"

Her godson chuckled, "This is a fairly recent development." He said, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck in a nervous gesture that Naruto had inherited.

Tsunade arched a brow at that explanation before eyeing the rest of the occupants of the room. Kakashi looked as calculating as ever, Kushina was amused, Itachi seemed to be watching Naruto and Sasuke but Tsunade could tell he was keeping an eye on her as well, Naruto's attention was still focused entirely on Sasuke, and Sasuke was clearly trying to pretend that wasn't the case. She shook her head, "Come on upstairs, we have a lot to catch up on."

As they made their way up, Naruto and Sasuke took the time to take in their surroundings. The long stairway they climbed was lined with pictures on both sides of past Hokages and visiting dignitaries both from the Land of Fire and from abroad. Naruto was playing an internal guessing game of who each person was when he ran straight into Sasuke.

"What the hell, bastard? Why did you—Sasuke?" His tone changed as he realised Sasuke had gone paler than usual, his dark eyes trained on a picture to their right. Naruto followed his line of sight and inhaled sharply at the image. It was an old man, clearly the previous Hokage, standing beside a young man and woman, both dark-haired and pale-skinned, both good-looking in their own right. If he looked closer Naruto knew he'd be able to find Sasuke's eyes on the woman's face, and his perfect nose on the man's. He reached out instinctively to take the Uchiha's hand and Sasuke latched on, squeezing his hand tightly, though his face gave away no sign of his internal turmoil.

Itachi stepped up behind Sasuke, placing a hand on his back, and Sasuke fractionally relaxed into the touch, but he didn't look away from the picture. Naruto let out a long breath, "They are…" He let his voice drag off as he glanced at Itachi.

"They are Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, our parents." Itachi confirmed softly.

Naruto didn't notice that the three of them were now alone, save Kakashi who hovered a few steps ahead, watching quietly. His parents and Tsunade had obviously gone on ahead to give them some privacy.

"How dare they?" Sasuke's tone was deadly, his black eyes filled with anger and hatred, "How fucking dare they keep this picture up here?! As if _he_ wasn't responsible for them being dead!" He pulled his hand out of Naruto's grasp to reach out and pull the picture from the wall, throwing it so it shattered on the ground.

Naruto felt a lump in his throat and his chest ached in a strange way as he watched Sasuke show more emotion than he'd ever seen before, the most prevalent ones being pain and hurt. He reached out to pull Sasuke to him but the Uchiha slapped his hands away, "No! Don't touch me!" Tears streamed down Naruto's cheeks now as he ignored Sasuke's words and reached out again, wrapping his arms around the other boy and pulling him close. He could feel Sasuke trembling, his breath coming out in pants at the sudden violent display of emotions that he usually kept locked up tight.

"Shh." Naruto hushed softly, lowering both of them carefully onto a step that was free of glass shards, settling Sasuke in the cage of his arms and legs, ensuring he was completely surrounded, "It's okay. You're okay. I'm right here."

Sasuke's breath hitched as he felt his sight blur. Alarmed he reached up to rub at his eyes, his hands coming away wet. Tears. He was…crying? Breathing became difficult as panic flooded his senses and Naruto held him tighter, rocking slightly, pressing soothing kisses to Sasuke's nose, forehead, cheeks and lips, trying to calm him down. His sight blurred once more and Sasuke fought to escape Naruto's hold, unable to pinpoint the cause of his panic. He just knew he couldn't be doing this. He couldn't cry. Itachi was being strong for him so he had to be strong for Itachi. Tears wouldn't fix anything. He tried explaining this to Naruto, but all that came out was, "I-I can't…Don't… _Itachi_ …"

Then suddenly Itachi's face was in front of his, tears falling from his eyes as he pressed his forehead to Sasuke's, "It's okay, little brother. Let go. I told you once before, didn't I?" He paused and his lips curved into a trembling smile, "I will always love you."

A sob tore through Sasuke's lips and just like that he fell apart between Naruto and Itachi, uncaring for where he was and who else witnessed his breakdown. He had his two most important people in the world with him, and that was all that mattered. Sasuke didn't know how long they sat there, the three of them ensconced in their own world, sharing pain and hurt and providing comfort to one another. He just knew that when at last he was able to get his bearings, his heart and mind felt lighter than they had been before. He glanced at the shattered picture frame and grimaced slightly before reaching out and picking up the photo. He made sure all the glass had fallen away before he brought the picture closer, happy to remain where he was, secure between Naruto and Itachi.

"We don't have any pictures of them around the house." He murmured, only just realising the truth of that statement.

Itachi sat back, giving him a sad smile, "That's my fault. I thought it would be too painful for you…for us. It was bad enough that we had to continue living in that mausoleum of memories."

Sasuke nodded, understanding. "We could move." He suggested lightly, "I don't remember that time too clearly, but it must be hard for you. We've never talked about it before, so I suppose I never realised. We can find somewhere new and start over. Maybe that place could be a home, rather than just a house." He could tell even as he spoke that the idea appealed to Itachi, but his brother's eyes darted to Naruto and he shook his head.

"There's no point. It's your last year of school, and I'm willing to bet that next year you and Naruto will want to find a place to live together." Itachi said, dismissing the suggestion.

"What? Are you saying I couldn't move in with the two of you?" Naruto interjected, sounding a little offended, "I see how it is. You're just pretending to like me, aren't you? All this talk about seeing me as a second brother, but you don't want to deal with me on a daily basis."

Sasuke chuckled as Itachi's eyes widened with alarm, "What? No!" He let out an exasperated breath, "You know that's not what I meant, Naruto. It's just that the two of you will want your own space."

Naruto pretended to consider that before looking to Sasuke, "How rich are you, bastard?"

Sasuke smirked, "Pretty rich."

"So that means you could probably afford a house with more than enough space, right?"

"I doubt it would be difficult." Sasuke conceded, looking to his elder brother. Itachi looked positively astonished. He wasn't used to being blindsided in this manner; usually he was the one who was five steps ahead.

"We're next-door neighbours now." Itachi finally said, shaking his head, "If we move—"

"You'll be maximum, a twenty minute drive away. Konoha isn't a big town, and you both have cars. Yeah, it'll suck not to be able to just walk over and see you guys, but I'll deal." Naruto countered, "Any other excuses?"

Itachi looked between the two of them, knowing when he was beaten, but he had to ask, "Are you sure about this?"

Naruto chuckled, "Itachi, you have your brother and me talking like it's a foregone conclusion that we'll be moving in together next year, and we've only been 'dating' for a little more than twenty-four hours. Clearly we're really fucking serious about this." Blue eyes met Itachi's gaze and softened with warmth and love, "The bastard is right. It's time you guys found someplace new and made it a home. Don't worry about him and me, we'll work ourselves out. And who knows? If everything is going well next year, maybe I really will move in with you guys!"

"Since this seems to be a kind of communal living space, I think I'll move in with you all as well. Living alone is getting to be boring." Kakashi said, walking over to crouch beside the other three, "Besides, imagine all the fun I would have teasing Naruto if I had twenty-four-seven access to him."

Sasuke and Itachi laughed as Naruto protested to the idea loudly. Tsunade, Minato and Kushina watched quietly from the top step, having heard the crash of the picture frame breaking and come back to check what was going on.

"Naruto loves him." Tsunade said finally, watching the way the blond rubbed a hand up and down the younger Uchiha's arm soothingly even as he yelled at Kakashi. Then there was the way he'd cried with Sasuke when the boy had broken down; the pain was so raw, as if he hurt _for_ Sasuke.

Minato sighed beside her, "If that isn't already the case, it's only a matter of time."

"Our little boy is growing up." Kushina said with a light sniff, leaning against Minato, "When he asks us about moving—"

"—we'll say yes." Minato finished, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders and pulling her close, "Those two boys need him. Plus, Kakashi will be there to keep an eye on them."

"You think Hatake's serious about living with them?" Tsunade asked, a little surprised.

"Oh, he's serious. Naruto has a way of making people be true to themselves. I'll bet this has been weighing on Kakashi's mind for a while now." Minato said knowingly.

"So you're going to let your teenage son move in with his boyfriend, his boyfriend's elder brother and their guardian when he's fresh out of school." Tsunade summarised, shaking her head, "Well, I suppose your parenting style could never have been called conventional."

"Actually, I'm going to let him move in with them now." Minato said, surprising her yet again.

"He just unpacked everything." Kushina sighed, "It's going to be a pain to pack it all up to move it again."

"You're okay with this?!" Tsunade exclaimed, turning to Kushina, "Naruto isn't even eighteen! How can you both be considering this?"

"Naruto's found the place he belongs after searching for so long." Kushina said with a quiet strength to her voice, "I'm not about to make him wait to begin the life he's been looking forward to for so long. He's always been so patient with us, it's our turn to do something for him."

"Besides, he's right." Minato said, smiling, "Konoha isn't a big town, and the boys will probably still come over every weekend for meals. He knows we're there if he needs us. They all do."

Tsunade studied the two parents for a long moment before chuckling, "Like I said, unconventional." She smiled fondly, reaching out to ruffle Minato's hair, "I suppose Jiraiya and I should be proud."

Minato gave her a warm smile before calling out to interrupt Naruto's tirade, "Alright, how about we move this to the dining room and allow the cleaning staff to take care of the mess?"

He noticed Sasuke wince before looking up to meet Minato's gaze apologetically, and the older man just waved it off. He waited until they were all standing and making their way up before saying lightly, "Maybe we can discuss all this moving business over dinner too. Kushina and I were listening in, and we were thinking it would be the perfect opportunity to pawn Naruto off on all of you. This way, we get the house to ourselves, and Kakashi can deal with being responsible for him."

Itachi and Sasuke exchanged stunned looks while Naruto's mouth dropped open, "What?! Are you saying you want to get rid of me? Dad!"

Kakashi chuckled as Naruto streaked past him to pounce on his father just as the older man laughed and dodged his arms. This evening had already far surpassed his expectations, and dinner hadn't even been served yet.

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Sasuke turned his head slightly in the direction of his window as the glass slid up, a dark form slipping into his room before sliding the window shut once more. He looked back up to the ceiling as the bed dipped beside him and his usuratonkachi wrapped his arms around him, resting his chin on Sasuke's chest, blue eyes peering up at his face.

"You're awake, too."

"Hn."

Naruto sighed, turning his head so his ear was pressed to Sasuke's chest, listening to his heartbeat, "I know. Everything is just swimming around inside my head; so much happened tonight."

Sasuke raised a hand to comb his fingers through soft golden hair, "You don't have to move with us. If you need time—" Naruto's lips interrupted him and he curled his hand to grasp the blond's head tighter as he kissed him.

"I don't need time. I'm glad Dad and Mom are okay with me moving in with you guys now. When we were talking about it before, about how I'd move after a year, if everything was going well…" Naruto hesitated, his fingers curling into Sasuke's t-shirt to grasp it tightly, "I was kind of scared."

Sasuke brushed his nose against Naruto's, his thumb brushing the scars on his face, "Scared of what, usuratonkachi?"

"That I wasn't ever going to be able to experience living with all of you. That everything wouldn't be going well next year. That you'd…" Naruto's breath hitched, "That you'd be happier there without me."

Sasuke took in the anxiety on his boyfriend's face and knocked their foreheads together, "You idiot. If you're what makes me happy, how could I possibly be happier without you?"

"Things change." Naruto said insistently, his voice rough even as he pressed closer to Sasuke, clearly trying to draw comfort from his proximity.

"I won't." Sasuke promised softly, "We won't."

"You can't know that." Naruto said, swallowing as he opened his eyes, blue eyes swimming with tears.

Sasuke reached up to wipe away the first tear before it fell, brushing a light kiss to Naruto's lips, "You told me that you knew somewhere deep inside you that you'd want me for the rest of your life, remember?"

Naruto nodded.

"I know, in my soul, that I've wanted you in every single one of my lives." Sasuke said with complete conviction, watching as blue eyes widened.

"Sasuke." Naruto breathed in awe, and in that moment Sasuke saw it, that look he'd seen on the first day. The look of raw affection and love, this time directed at him.

"Trust me when I tell you that I'm never going to want anyone else. Stop being afraid. You said I wasn't ever going to lose you, that you were never going to leave me alone. Well, the same applies to you." Sasuke's arms tightened around his usuratonkachi, "We're together now, and I don't plan on ever letting you go."

This time when their lips met, it was with a desperation to affirm their connection. Naruto moved to settle on top of Sasuke, straddling the Uchiha while his fingers scraped lightly against his scalp. Shuddering beneath him, Sasuke slipped his long fingers under Naruto's t-shirt, skimming over previously unexplored skin. Naruto's body was all hard lines and muscles, and Sasuke enjoyed spreading his palm open and moving it up Naruto's chest, his fingers brushing over a nipple in the process. Naruto let out a keening noise at the contact, and immediately looked embarrassed to have uttered such a sound, but it was too late. Sasuke made quick work of getting the t-shirt over the blond's head and off him as his fingers once again sought out the sensitive flesh; he wanted to hear that sound again and revel in the knowledge that he was the cause for it.

Naruto let out a frustrated growl as he tried to push Sasuke's hands away, but then those long, pale fingers rolled his nub in just the right way and he had to bite his lip hard to keep from crying out. With his eyes shut, he didn't have a visual on Sasuke and so he had no warning when warm wetness surrounded one of his nipples.

"Ah!" He cried out, one of his hands going up to curl painfully into Sasuke's black hair, "Fucking bastard!" Naruto whined, "Don't—!"

Sasuke chuckled around his mouthful, looking up from under dark lashes to meet hazy blue eyes, "Shut up and enjoy it, usuratonkachi."

Naruto pouted slightly, "Only if you take off your shirt too."

Easily complying, Sasuke threw his t-shirt to the side before lowering his lips to Naruto's nipple once more, tugging on the nub with his teeth before soothing the pain with his tongue. His hands in the meantime slid down Naruto's back and under his sweats, before grabbing and squeezing the blond's taut ass. A squeak of surprise left Naruto before he hissed as the action brought his hard-on in contact with Sasuke's, making them slide along one another. Sasuke's low groan against his skin spurred him forward as he wrapped his legs around Sasuke's waist and arched up so their cocks were pressed against each other before grinding slowly against the Uchiha.

Forgetting what he'd been doing before, Sasuke moved up to kiss Naruto, his hands squeezing his ass tightly, holding him up so with every thrust of their hips their cocks pressed together deliciously. The room was soon filled with sounds of panting, whimpers and moans from Naruto and groans and grunts from Sasuke as they thrust against each other in a motion that was grew more and more frenzied until one of Sasuke's fingers, as he squeezed Naruto's ass, slipped in between to brush his opening, and Naruto arched up with a shout, his world going white as he did. Watching Naruto come apart — red-faced, blue eyes blown wide, lips bruised and parted while forming his name — did it for Sasuke and he grunted a final time as he thrust against Naruto's already limp body, his body tightening before his orgasm crashed through him.

When he came down from his high, Naruto was shuffling out of his pants, pulling Sasuke's down as well, using their soiled clothes to clean up their mess before tossing them to the side and flopping down against Sasuke, tucking his face into the Uchiha's neck and inhaling his crisp forest and rain scent. "We have school tomorrow." He murmured sleepily, "I wasn't planning on spending the night."

Sasuke turned to face his idiot, wrapping his arms around him, "Hn."

Naruto chuckled, "Yeah, I'm not going anywhere. Hopefully this won't make my parents change their minds." He lifted his head to press a kiss to Sasuke's lips, "Good night, bastard."

"Shut up, usuratonkachi." The Uchiha replied gruffly as he closed his eyes, but his lips were curved in a slight smile as they both drifted off to sleep.

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 **I love that this story is gaining so many Favourites, but please do leave a review as well. Let me know what you think and how you felt when you read the chapter :)**

 **Additional Note: I updated the chapter and added a bit that fit better here than in the next one. Hope you enjoyed it!**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

 **Hey guys, putting the author note up here because I wanted to let you know I've updated Chapter 8. It now has a new part at the bottom - I realised it fit there better than it would have in this chapter.**

 **Be sure to read that before starting on this!**

 **As always, leave a review :)**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**

* * *

Sasuke had way too much on his mind the following week to even think about whether Naruto and he were being obvious about their new relationship. At home on Monday night, the Namikazes, Uchihas and Kakashi had sat down to talk about what kind of place they were going to be looking for. Minato and Kushina were firm about the fact that they were going to contribute toward the budget so they decided on each family putting forth one-third of the budget with Kakashi putting up the remaining third. Itachi, Kakashi and Minato offered to begin looking for potential houses, and the other three had agreed to leave them in charge of that task. They wanted enough space for three suites of rooms, with the condition that Sasuke and Naruto wouldn't share a room until the end of their last year of high school. This condition had been put forth with stern looks from Minato and Kushina who embarrassed Naruto (and Sasuke, though he wouldn't admit to it) to no end talking about the importance of studying and how there would always be time for sex later. Of course, this led to the safe-sex talk…enough said. Sasuke and Naruto made the decision that until a house had been found and moving was actually underway, there was no reason for their friends to know about their soon-to-be-changing living arrangements.

At school, with the fund-raising event coming up on Friday, Sasuke was staying back every afternoon to work with the other members of the council to make sure the final details for the event were ironed out. It was a ninja-themed obstacle course that was going to be set up in the forests surrounding Konoha. A specific area had been decided on and inspected by school authorities for the purpose and the council had been given the go-ahead to hold their event within the perimeters of the space. There were going to be three stages — target practice, a race and a stealth mission. The best part was: the council wasn't spending a dime on the event. Between Choji, Kiba, Lee and Naruto's obsession with ninjas, they'd managed to gather all the needed props without having to buy anything. The majority of the weekday evenings were spent in the forest area, setting up traps and putting together the obstacle course. Tickets were going to be sold only at the event, but plenty of people had already voiced their excitement and intention to take part.

Since Naruto had volunteered to pitch in to help set up the obstacle course, the two of them got to see each other frequently despite Sasuke's increase in workload, but with both their minds focussed on other things, they forgot to pay attention to the way they interacted with each other. It wasn't as though they went at it against a tree in front of everyone, the evidence of their relationship was in the smaller things. Like how Naruto's face would light up every time Sasuke entered a room, or how if Sasuke wasn't with Naruto, the Uchiha would watch him quietly from wherever he stood or sat, only half paying attention to the conversation he was having. Shikamaru was amazed at how, despite this, not a single person in school outside of their immediate group discerned the turn their relationship had taken.

He had pointed this out to Sasuke when they were sitting in Physics class that Thursday and the Uchiha had given him a dry look, "Did you ever think that maybe you're just paying too much attention to us? No normal person would be keeping track of things like how Naruto's face changes when I enter a room or how many times I look over at the idiot when I'm not with him."

Shikamaru knew that wasn't true though. There were lots of people in the school who were highly interested in who Sasuke looked at and how he looked at them. Even Naruto had a faithful set of admirers at this point! So why hadn't any of them noticed the difference?

It was Kiba who unwittingly provided the answer. The group was sitting together on Friday having lunch, and since they'd been late, Sasuke and Naruto were still in line waiting to collect their food.

"The idiots." He snorted, shaking his head as he glanced toward the line, "They're fighting again."

"At this point I think it's less fighting and more flirting." Hinata said, laughing softly as she turned to look at the boys as well.

"Nah, it's still fighting." Kiba said, rolling his eyes, "Those two wouldn't know what flirting was if it bit them in the ass."

Tenten watched Naruto curse Sasuke out in the middle of the cafeteria while the Uchiha looked bored, and sighed, "Are we sure that they actually got together over the weekend? Their behaviour hasn't changed at all."

Before Shikamaru could correct her, Kiba barked out a loud laugh, "That's the funniest part, isn't it? They were acting like a couple long before they got together, so why would anything need to change?"

Shikamaru froze for a moment before laughing. Kiba was right. Maybe the intensity of all their actions had deepened, but the fundamental actions were things they were doing long before this weekend. Why would anyone suspect anything now?

The mystery solved, Shikamaru turned his attention back to his girlfriend, blinking when he realised she wasn't beside him. He looked around the cafeteria, "Hey, has anyone seen…Ino." He spotted her sitting in the opposite side of the room next to Sakura, their heads close together as they talked, and he frowned. Sakura had kept her word and participated in all the council meetings normally, but she still wasn't sitting with the group and she hadn't spoken to Sasuke or Naruto since Saturday. Each time Naruto saw her deliberately move away from their group or avoid them, his mood would deflate, and Shikamaru knew Sasuke was quickly losing patience with Sakura's behaviour. She was upsetting Naruto, and that was the ultimate crime in Sasuke's eyes.

"What are we talking about?" Naruto asked, sitting down in one of the spare seats, Sasuke slipping into the seat beside him.

"The fact that Sasuke and you have been behaving like a couple for weeks now." Kiba supplied, taking a bite of his pizza.

Sasuke looked to Shikamaru with a smirk, "You found your answer." His smirk fell when he realised Shikamaru's attention was elsewhere. He followed his friend's line of sight and snorted, "Forget about her." He spoke softly enough that Naruto, who was in midst of a conversation with Kiba, didn't hear him.

"Is that really okay?" Shikamaru wondered, frowning slightly, "She is our friend."

"She can still be your friend, as long as she stays the fuck away from Naruto." Sasuke said harshly.

"Are you guys talking about me?" Naruto asked, looking to them, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"The world doesn't revolve around you, usuratonkachi."

"Hey! I thought I heard my name!" Naruto defended, scowling, "You're being really snappy today, bastard. Are you PMSing or something?"

Kiba howled with laughter and the rest of the group giggled and smirked at the comment. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his best friend-turned-boyfriend, "Oh, I didn't realise you had doubts about my gender. Did Sunday night not provide you with enough proof?"

Just like that the tables were turned and Naruto went red in the face, his blue eyes widening in shock, "You. Are. Such. A. Bastard!"

Sasuke chuckled, "Your bastard, right?" He asked, tauntingly.

"Shut up!" Naruto growled, turning away from Sasuke, the very air around him giving away his embarrassment. He shifted his eyes to look everywhere but their table and his eyes fell on Sakura and Ino; suddenly his embarrassment was the last thing on his mind. Noticing this, Sasuke sighed, "Usuratonkachi."

"I'm going to talk to her." Naruto stood, picking up his tray.

"What?" Shikamaru could tell that Sasuke was not amused, "Why the hell would you do that?"

"What else is there to do?" Naruto retorted, "I'm not going to let you lose one of your friends over this."

"Naruto, don't go over there." The words were uttered as an order, one Naruto clearly had no intention of obeying. He ignored Sasuke and made his way across the cafeteria, setting his tray down with a clatter on the table so as to announce his presence.

Sakura and Ino looked up, startled, and on seeing him Ino smiled in welcome, "Hey, Naruto."

Naruto flashed her a smile, "Do you mind giving Sakura and I a minute, Ino?"

Ino looked between the two of them and nodded, "Yeah, of course. I'll go sit with the others. Come join us when you're done."

"We will." Naruto promised, waiting until Ino had walked away before looking at Sakura.

"Is this where you tell me to stop pining after your boyfriend?" She didn't sound bitter, she sounded heartbroken.

Naruto sighed, grinning slightly, "I would never label the bastard with tame titles like 'boyfriend'. We're just…together. But that's not what I came to talk to you about."

Sakura blinked, frowning slightly in confusion, "It isn't?"

"Do you know, Sakura, that first day when I met everyone, I made the bastard tell me about each of you as we drove down to the cinema. I was nervous." He said it like he was revealing a big secret, and Sakura wondered if maybe he was. She would have never guessed Naruto felt nervous about anything; he was always so bright, and loud and happy.

"He told me that I'd be meeting a big group, but he didn't consider all of them his friends." Naruto continued, smiling at the memory, "I'd already figured out by then that he was a bastard, so that didn't surprise me. I asked him who he did count as friends and the names he mentioned were Shikamaru, Ino and…you." Blue eyes held her gaze and it was the emotion in them that made her sit up and pay attention because it was uncharacteristic of Naruto unless he was looking at Sasuke. Anger. "Sasuke doesn't understand why you separating yourself from everyone like this upsets me so much, but it does. It upsets me because I've known what it felt like to truly have no friends; to have no one to comfort me when I was upset, or understand when I was angry, or be patient when I needed time. It upsets me because you _have_ all those things, and you're pushing them away over something as _stupid_ as a schoolgirl crush!"

Sakura wanted to protest, fight back, anything, but she stayed frozen in place because Naruto was furious, but he was also truly upset. Tears glimmered in those blue eyes, and he didn't look the least bit embarrassed about them, too focussed on glaring at her. She felt her lips tremble as tears filled her eyes as well, "I'm sorry." She whispered, "You're right. I've been an idiot. I'm so sorry."

Just like that the anger was gone, and Sakura was nearly blinded by the radiant smile she received from Naruto before he engulfed her in a hug. "I'm not the friend you need to be apologising to." He told her softly before stepping back and looking over his shoulder.

She followed his gaze to meet Sasuke's dark, contemplative gaze as he watched them quietly. He had obviously been there for a while, and Sakura wondered briefly how much of their conversation he had overheard. If the way his eyes searched Naruto's face thoroughly before looking to her was any indication, he'd heard enough. "I'm sorry, Sasuke."

"Hn." Sasuke turned around, and she felt her heart break again. Of course he wouldn't just forgive her like that, what was she thi—his voice cut through her thoughts, "I'm going to tell you what I told that idiot. I don't need friends who make him sad."

Naruto grumbled under his breath beside her, "Acts like I need to be taken care of or something. Stupid bastard."

She chuckled, "Understood."

"Good. Come on, usuratonkachi, and bring your food with you. You already skipped breakfast because you were too lazy."

"Whose fault was it that I had to sleep in anyway?! You were texting me till three in the morning!"

"No one said you had to reply."

Naruto let out a frustrated groan, "You're such a fucking bastard, but you _are_ mine." He looked heavenward and sighed wearily, "I guess I'll have to make do."

Sakura watched in astonishment as Sasuke actually became annoyed, "Naruto."

Laughing, Naruto darted ahead and Sasuke gave chase, leaving Sakura to follow behind them slowly. When she took her usual seat at the table, the two boys were already there ahead of her, Sasuke force-feeding Naruto pizza while Naruto struggled not to choke.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to them." Hinata said encouragingly, "You should probably eat, lunch will be over soon."

Sakura nodded, her eyebrows furrowing in concern as the two boys began bickering once more, "Are you sure they aren't going to kill each other?"

Shikamaru chuckled, "I think they consider this foreplay."

The table broke out laughing as Naruto sputtered and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

* * *

"It's convenient how both Naruto and your names ended up on the stealth mission, isn't it?" Shikamaru mused, "I hope you remember the purpose of the mission is to be seen by the players. It's no good if you vanish into the woods somewhere."

During the stealth mission, two people posing as enemy ninjas would be walking about in plain sight with a pack containing 'secret documents'. The players, who were going to be working in teams of three, would have to take the pack and substitute it for a decoy without the 'enemy' noticing. Given that a lot of cover would be needed for this, the most heavily wooded part of the approved area had been chosen for this part of the course and plenty of traps had been set. The people posing as enemies would not have too much to do as the mission was going to be challenging enough without their interference.

Sasuke shrugged as they finished putting together the entry stand, "It's the last part of the obstacle course. We'll have a good twenty minutes before people start showing up there."

Shikamaru snorted in amusement, "I'll admit, I wouldn't have pinned you for a horn-dog, Sasuke."

"Like you can talk." Sasuke shot back, "I noticed your car was still in the parking lot when we finished our work yesterday evening, even though Ino and you left to 'run some errands' an hour before."

Shikamaru grinned widely, "Okay, you caught me. Just…keep track of the time."

"Hn." Sasuke walked away, smirking, making a beeline for his blond idiot who was deep in conversation with Sakura and Hinata about the placement of the targets for the first part of the course.

"Usuratonkachi. We're leaving." He said, grabbing Naruto by his upper arm and pulling him towards their area.

Naruto frowned, "It doesn't even open for half an hour. Hey, Sasuke! Stop pulling, bastard!"

Sakura and Hinata exchanged bemused looks before going back to their work as Naruto and Sasuke disappeared out of sight. Naruto kept up a steady stream of complaints and protests as Sasuke dragged him through the woods, waiting until they were at the location where they were supposed to lie in wait before pushing his usuratonkachi back against a tree and sliding forward so his body was pressed up against him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's blue eyes were wide, "What are you doing? We're in school!"

"Hn." He leaned in to kiss Naruto.

"No." Naruto moved his head away to avoid the kiss, pushing the Uchiha away, "No way. Wait till we get home! Are you crazy? Anyone could walk in on us here!"

Sasuke decided to forego his usuratonkachi's lips for the moment and instead went for his earlobe, sucking on the appendage before nibbling the skin just below, drawing a full-body shudder from the blond. "I want you." He breathed hotly against flushed skin and he knew the argument was won.

"You fucking bastard." Naruto managed breathlessly before lifting one leg to hook it around Sasuke's waist, pulling him closer so their erections were pressed together through their jeans. Their lips met in a desperate kiss, Naruto's hands fisting in Sasuke's hair as he tried to physically merge both their bodies, needing to be closer, to feel closer. Sensing this, Sasuke ran a soothing hand through golden hair, angling their heads in a way that allowed him to take control of the kiss, making it gentler, less hurried and less desperate. Naruto made a whining noise against his lips as if protesting, but he ignored it, as he kissed his way down his usuratonkachi's neck, sucking hard here and there to leave bruising marks on tanned skin.

As Sasuke continued his exploration with his lips, Naruto continued to grind against his boyfriend, the barely-there friction delicious but giving him no real satisfaction. When Sasuke dropped to his knees before the blond, blue eyes rolled back and a keening noise of anticipation left him as he felt deft fingers undo his jeans and pull them down along with his boxers. There was a moment of silence when Naruto looked down, blue eyes dazed, and Sasuke met his gaze, an unnamed emotion burning in his black ones, before he raised his hand to brush his fingers over the already hard cock, making Naruto whimper his name as his knees shook from the strain of keeping him standing.

Sasuke expected the taste to be unpleasant, and he expected for the act to be one he wouldn't particularly enjoy himself, but that he would do for his usuratonkachi's pleasure. His expectations were blown out of the water as he ran his tongue up Naruto's length, closing his eyes. It was like Naruto's taste was concentrated here; sea, salt, warmth, sugar with just a bit of sunshine and a tangy aftertaste of bitterness. Now eager, he took as much of Naruto into his mouth as he could manage, his hand wrapping around the remaining length, and he moaned at the burst of flavour that coated his tongue. The vibrations of the moan from the mouth surrounding his cock made Naruto curse loudly and his hands fisted against the tree which he was leaning on heavily to stay upright. "Fuck, bastard. That feels so good!"

Keeping an eye on Naruto's face with his cock in his mouth was difficult, so Sasuke stopped trying. There would be other times when he could attempt to manage the feat. Right now, all he really wanted to focus on was pleasuring the boy before him. As with everything else, Sasuke turned out to be an expert at giving head, turning Naruto into a tightly wound coil of curses, whimpers and needy moans in a matter of minutes. The blond tried to pull him off as he shouted out his warning about coming, but Sasuke didn't let him, savouring the taste as he swallowed it all. He was still trying to decide if he liked the sensation of swallowing when he was knocked onto his back with calloused hands pulling impatiently at his jeans.

"Usuratonkachi? What the—fuck!" He cried out in surprise as warm wetness engulfed his erection, his body arching into the willing hole Naruto had provided, pushing more of his length into the blond's mouth. "Unh!" He grunted, unable to help but thrust once more when he realised Naruto hadn't protested the action, and the blond responded by hollowing out his cheeks and sucking, making Sasuke buck wildly at the sensation, "Fuck, usuratonkachi." His voice was strained, "I'm not going to last long."

Naruto drew back with an obscene popping noise, blue eyes dark with desire, lips wet and puffy as he spoke, "I'll give you a proper one later. Just come for me, bastard."

When Naruto's mouth surrounded him once more, all Sasuke could do was obey as he came apart in an embarrassingly short time. Just as he had, Naruto swallowed everything before slowly crawling up Sasuke's body to kiss him. When Sasuke's tongue glided along Naruto's their tastes mixed and both of them moaned into the kiss, deepening it for a moment before pulling away, their foreheads still resting against one another as they caught their breath.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Sasuke knew he sounded a bit petulant, but Naruto had been way too good at that; there was no way this was his first time.

Naruto grinned widely, "Liked it, huh?" He leaned forward to brush a light kiss to Sasuke's scowling lips, "I've watched a lot of gay porn since I met you."

The scowl dissipated, "Porn? Seriously?"

"There are all kinds of educational videos out there." Naruto said, waggling his brows suggestively.

Sasuke scoffed, "Usuratonkachi."

"You were pretty good yourself, bastard." Naruto murmured, pressing kisses along Sasuke's jaw and down his neck at a leisurely pace.

"I'm good at everything I do." Sasuke said arrogantly even as he arched his neck back to give the blond more access, enjoying the attention being showered on him. His comment earned him a hard suck, and he let out a surprised cry, "What the fuck?"

Naruto laughed against the mark he'd made, soothing the pain with a lick of his tongue, "Serves you right. What's the time?"

Sasuke looked around them and spotted his phone, shifting slightly to reach for it, "We have ten minutes till people start showing up. They should be starting the race right now."

Naruto made a humming sound as he kissed Sasuke once more, "Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

Naruto said nothing, just brushed their noses together as he looked down at Sasuke, the emotion he was feeling written all over his face, making the Uchiha smile as he lifted his head to nibble on the blond's lower lip, "If we don't get up, I'm going to want to touch you again." He murmured softly.

Naruto chuckled, "Well, I don't want to scar anyone today. If that ends up being the reason people don't show up for other fund-raising events, Ino and Sakura would kill us."

Eight minutes later when the first group stumbled upon the pair, they found no indication that the two best friends had been doing anything but talking.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

When Sasuke woke up late on Saturday morning to a message from Minato inviting him out to lunch, he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. His confusion only grew when he went down for breakfast and Itachi had asked him in a cautious voice, "Why would Minato want to have lunch with me?"

"You got the message too?" Sasuke frowned, sitting down at the dining table with his mug of coffee, "You think he changed his mind about letting Naruto come live with us?"

Itachi pondered that thought before shaking his head, "He strikes me as the kind of person who never makes a decision without considering all the consequences. Since he's decided to let Naruto move with us, he's not going to go back on his word." The older Uchiha took out his phone, re-reading the message, "The only thing that's clear from this is that Naruto isn't going to be joining us."

Sasuke stared down at his mug, not noticing that the beverage was going cold, "Hn."

Itachi walked over to tap his brother's forehead with two fingers, smiling down at him when Sasuke glanced up, "I'm sure blondie is fine, Sasuke. If Minato is doing this, it's probably because Naruto asked him to."

Sasuke sighed, taking a sip of coffee, "I think this has something to do with his past. I asked him about it last week, and he said he'd tell me. Maybe he asked Minato to make some excuse for him."

"Or maybe he asked Minato to tell the story for him. Perhaps he, like you, can't quite put everything into words. I was the one who told him our story, remember?" Itachi frowned slightly though, "If you're right though, I wonder why I was included in the invitation."

"Naruto felt that you had a right to know." Minato explained from across the table an hour later as they were seated in a fairly up-scale Italian restaurant. The Namikaze had got them a private booth that would allow them to speak freely without worry of being overheard or watched. Blue eyes, so like his son's yet so different at the same time, met Sasuke's gaze, "Naruto came to me earlier this week and explained that he wanted you to know everything, that it was only fair that Itachi knew as well since the story he had been told was not yours alone."

"This isn't a matter of 'you show me your scars and I'll show you mine'!" Itachi protested, frowning, "I never told Naruto with the intention of having him feel obliged to tell me about his past."

Minato chuckled, "More than a month of knowing my son, and you still don't quite understand him Itachi. Though I suppose I can't blame you, Naruto can be confounding in the best of times." He reached out to place a comforting hand on the older Uchiha's shoulder, "Naruto sees you as family; he has since day one. Sasuke has become his future, and you have become a symbol of his home. Naruto has never had someone quite like you in his life before; someone he could confide in and turn to for advice without fear of judgement or reproach. The fact that he went to you when he was troubled over Sasuke's behaviour only goes to show just how much you've come to mean to him. He trusts you implicitly, and he saw proof of your trust in the way you bore yourself to him when you told him about your past. He wants this to be his proof. Would you deny him this chance to show you how much he cares?"

Itachi blinked and swallowed around the lump in his throat, leaning back in his seat. He felt his brother's eyes on him and met Sasuke's understanding gaze. No one knew better than him how easily Naruto could overwhelm you with his love.

Letting out a shaky sigh, Itachi nodded, giving Minato the signal to continue.

"Well, in order for you to understand Naruto's past, you first need to understand the nature of my job. I'm sure you already have some idea regarding that, Itachi."

The older Uchiha nodded, "You move from nation to nation aiding politicians in their campaigns, usually with great success. You've been behind the campaigns of all five of the current Kages in the Great Nations; Raikage, Tsuchikage, Mizukage, Kazekage and Hokage."

Minato smiled, continuing where Itachi had left off, "As you can imagine, the job involves a fair bit of travelling. The duration of each job varies depending on the responsibilities I've been given. If I was only placed in charge of the election campaign, as was the case with Tsunade, I work to gain public favour for the candidate and help secure the seat for them; it takes a maximum of two years. In other cases where I've been asked to glean a wholistic outlook on how people feel about the newly elected Kage or who poses a danger to the seat, the job can drag on for several years; the maximum I've experienced is six. During this time I live in all the major cities in the nation, staying a year in each location, getting a feel for the people, the atmosphere, etc."

"Like an infiltration mission." Sasuke murmured, his mind wandering to how Naruto had helped provide a majority of their ninja props for the previous day's obstacle course. His obsession with ninjas made more sense now.

"Naruto and Kushina…they would move with you as you worked?" Itachi asked, arching a single brow.

Minato nodded, "Naruto grew up in this manner, moving from city to city, unable to make lasting connections, having to pack up, move and start over every time he managed to finally make some friends. I grew up in a similar way; Jiraiya and Tsunade loved to travel and it was exciting to meet new people and make friends in different places. My only excuse for not noticing how badly my lifestyle was affecting Naruto was that he looks and behaves so much like me sometimes that I forget to consider the fact that he's a different person with different needs, that what made me happy, might not do the same for him." The Namikaze sighed, running a weary hand over his face, "Naruto's performance at school began slipping when he was around eight and I'm ashamed to say that that was the first time Kushina and I thought to look into what Naruto's school life was like. He was always so happy, laughing and smiling, talking about all the things he did at school, complaining about his teachers…just so normal, we never thought to consider something might have been wrong. Parent-teacher meetings hadn't given us anything to worry about either, but we realised later that that was because the teachers had no idea what was going on."

"What was going on?" Sasuke asked, feeling a sense of foreboding. He knew he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

Minato looked down at the table surface, "Despite all the love we gave him, Naruto was starved for affection in school. Moving every time he managed to make a friend didn't help either, and it left him so eager to please, so eager to be liked, that he was vulnerable to the sheer cruelty of children."

Sasuke's fists clenched and beside him he could feel Itachi stiffen. Unbidden he remembered his first meeting with Naruto, how nervous the blond had looked, and the way he'd rushed through all the words. _"We haven't officially met. I'm Naruto Namikaze. I'm seventeen, new here and would really like to be friends because I don't want to be that weird new kid everyone stares at on the first day of school."_

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, trying to ease the tension that had built up within him. When he opened his eyes once more he met Minato's knowing gaze and nodded jerkily, and the Namikaze began speaking once more.

"I'm not sure now which school it started at, but it was during that six-year stint I mentioned earlier, my last assignment before I helped Tsunade become the Hokage. The Land of Water isn't very large, so a majority of its cities were close to each other, and several families were spread out in them. Naruto was five when we moved to the first city. From what I've understood from talking to him now, his need to please, to be liked, to make friends, made other students in his class purposely avoid him. He told me that he ignored it in the first school and managed to make a few friends, but then we moved, and the process started all over again. The proximity of the cities worked against him and soon the students knew who he was before he even stepped onto the school campus. No one gave him a chance to be their friend, stating that there was no point when he'd just be gone in a year anyway." Minato's hands clenched as he let out a shaky sigh, "Kushina and I were worried about the treatment he was getting, yes, but we didn't realise just how serious it was. The point was driven home for us when Naruto was ten and we'd moved to our last city in the Land of Water. Just one more year and we'd be going somewhere new, and when I'd asked Naruto if he was okay with that he'd smiled as usual and assured me that he'd be fine and not to worry. On the first day at the new school, Naruto went missing."

"What?" Sasuke's voice was low and dangerous, "What the fuck do you mean by missing?"

"Sasuke." Itachi's tone was one of reproach, though it was strained, "Naruto is fine now. He's with us and safe, obviously, so whatever happened, he got through it alive and unharmed. Let Minato finish speaking."

"Not unharmed." Sasuke bit out raking both hands through his hair, "This…" He took a steadying breath, "This was when he got those scars, wasn't it?"

Minato looked like a man defeated as he met Sasuke's fierce gaze, "Let me get through the rest of the story, Sasuke. If I stop now, there's no guarantee I'm going to be able to start again."

Letting out a frustrated growl, Sasuke sat back, and Minato took that as his cue to continue.

"One of the clans I'd identified as a threat decided to make a power play. They didn't have any children Naruto's age, and the school had a strict policy against allowing people who weren't students or parents of students onto campus, so I wasn't worried about Naruto. Of course, I'd underestimated both their resourcefulness and the level of sheer stupidity in badly raised children." Anger bled into Minato's voice now, "Members of the clan bribed a few students in Naruto's class to lead him out into the bad side of town during the school's lunch break. Thinking it would be grand joke to play on the new kid they'd already decided not to like, the little idiots complied and lured Naruto out of school with promises of friendship and secret games. Naruto didn't have a chance; the clan caught him and threatened his classmates to keep their mouths shut about what they'd seen. They'd done such a thorough job of frightening the kids that it took us over twenty-four hours to finally find out who had taken Naruto and why. We found him pretty quickly after that, these guys weren't professionals and once we knew where to look we found their trail easily. Naruto was kept in a broom closet, in the dark, with the door shut and locked. He wasn't yelling or screaming when we found him, but his voice was hoarse suggesting that he'd done a lot of it before we showed up. He had a few bruises on him, but the most worrying injuries were the three whisker-like cuts carved into either cheek. The clan's symbol was a cat, so they thought it would be amusing to leave their mark on my son as a sign of what they'd managed to pull off. The cuts had been made soon after he'd been taken and left to bleed. In the dankness of the closed space the wound easily became infected, and I knew before we rushed him to the doctors that no amount of medicine would be able to completely heal the scars."

Minato's face became stony, and his voice cold, "Once Naruto was in the hospital, I proceeded to destroy the clan in the best way I knew how, and it ended in the clan being disbanded and their wealth being taken away from them. The ones responsible for kidnapping and harming Naruto were put to death by the Mizukage." Minato allowed a moment of silence for the information to sink in, "Naruto woke up three days later, and he behaved as if nothing had happened to him. Kushina and I wondered for a while if he'd just blocked out the memory, but it quickly became apparent that that wasn't the case. Naruto was more wary around strangers, he was more nervous about starting at a new school, he despised dark, enclosed spaces, and he would always change the subject when we tried to talk to him about the incident. His way of dealing with it was to try and pretend it had never happened, but it's affected the way he lived his life since. When he was fourteen, Kushina and I decided to see if some stability would help him, making the decision to stay in Suna even after Gaara had been made Kazekage, but Naruto talked us out of it, saying he only had a few years left of school and he didn't want me to give up a job I loved because of him. I tried to argue, but once he's taken a stand, Naruto is hard to shake. Fast forward three years, and here we are."

Silence reigned in the small booth for several minutes before Sasuke suddenly stood, pushing his chair back so hard that once his weight was no longer holding it down, it fell over with a clatter. A hush fell over the restaurant as several of the patrons looked over, but Sasuke ignored them, grabbing his jacket and phone before stalking out of the establishment. Minato watched him go with sad blue eyes, "I wouldn't blame him if he never forgave me. I don't even know how Naruto could."

"It wasn't your fault." Itachi managed in a strained voice, eyes trained on the tabletop, "None of it was your fault. Naruto is a bit of an idiot, always worrying about everyone else and never wanting people to worry about him. He's like that now, and from your story I can see he was like that then. He feels others' pain as if it were his own, and he likely felt yours at being unable to help him as well. He would never have blamed you for what happened, and when Sasuke clears his mind and thinks about it, he won't either. Before my little brother can do that though, he'll need to see Naruto."

Minato let out a short, surprised laugh, "At this point nothing about those two should surprise me."

Itachi looked up, his brows furrowing in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when Naruto asked me to tell you both his story, he told me he couldn't be with me while I told it, but that he needed to be close by. He drove here with me, and he's waiting outside." Minato shook his head, "He must have known Sasuke would need to see him."

Outside, Naruto fidgeted nervously, leaning against his father's car, glancing at the entrance of the restaurant every-so-often. He didn't know how long he'd been standing there when he felt Sasuke step outside. He glanced over at the entrance and there he was, waving away the valet irritatedly, his expression pinched and his hands visibly shaking as he fumbled with his phone. Naruto quickly made his way across the parking lot, knowing that it was a testament to how shaken Sasuke was that the Uchiha didn't sense him approaching.

He took Sasuke's phone from him and tucked it into his back pocket, catching the shaking hands with his own and squeezing, blue eyes searching black as Sasuke's gaze whipped up in surprise. Sasuke's eyes were filled with raw emotion; pain, hurt, anger, helplessness all rolled into another all-encompassing emotion. Naruto leaned forward to rest his forehead against the Uchiha's, not caring that the valet was gaping at them or that his father and Itachi were likely on their way out as well. All that mattered was the boy in front of him, the boy who'd somehow managed to become the centre of his whole world.

"I'm right here, bastard." His words echoed those that he'd said in the Hokage's home when Sasuke had had his breakdown, "Breathe." He tilted his head to brush a kiss to trembling lips, "I'm right here with you and I'm not going anywhere."

A shuddering breath left Sasuke as he pulled his hands free from Naruto's grip and curled them around his waist, pulling the blond forward so he could tuck his face into the crook of Naruto's neck and hold him tightly. Smiling softly, Naruto lifted a hand to rest on the back of Sasuke's head, curling his other arm around his waist as he walked them backward out of the doorway and off to the side. As if on cue, the door opened and Naruto looked up to see Itachi and Minato standing at the entrance, watching Sasuke cling to him. Itachi's eyes looked as pained as Sasuke's had been, and Naruto shot him a reassuring smile, being sure to keep his arms unmoving around his bastard. He looked to his father and said quietly, "I'm going back with Sasuke and Itachi. Is it okay if I spend the night?"

Minato smiled softly, stepping forward to press a kiss to Naruto's forehead, looking fondly down at the dark head that was still pressed against his son's neck, "Of course." He made to turn and go to his car when a thought seemed to strike him, "Oh, and since our weekly family lunch didn't happen today, it's postponed to tomorrow. I expect to see you boys at home by twelve."

"Right." Itachi said with a slight smile, before turning to give the still-gaping valet his ticket. When the man didn't move to take the ticket, he arched a single brow, "I'm sorry, are you being paid to stare at my family?"

Blushing deeply, the valet immediately snapped to attention, taking the ticket and stammering out apologies before rushing away to get the Uchihas' car. Naruto chuckled, shaking his head, "That was mean."

"Sasuke, are you planning on letting go anytime soon?" Itachi asked, bemused.

"No." His voice was muffled against Naruto's skin, but the response was clear enough. Naruto and Itachi exchanged amused smiles, and the blond tightened his grip on his boyfriend, "If you're not careful bastard, I'm going to think you really like me or something." He teased lightly.

"Shut up, usuratonkachi. I'll let go when I'm ready to let go." Sasuke said firmly, his own arms tightening around Naruto as he breathed in the blond's scent, allowing it to soothe the turmoil in his heart.

Sasuke finally fell asleep while holding Naruto, both of them stretched out on the couch in the Uchihas' house with Itachi lounging on the armchair close by. Naruto leaned back just enough to be able to look down at Sasuke's face, brushing black bangs from his pale forehead, "He didn't take it too well, did he?" He mused, combing his fingers through Sasuke's hair, whether to soothe himself or the Uchiha, he wasn't sure.

"He was understandably upset." Itachi said, watching his brother sleep with a soft smile, "He loves you, Naruto."

The blond chuckled, "I know. And I love him too. I don't know if we'll ever get around to saying the actual words, but we both know how we feel." He looked at Itachi fondly, "I love you too, you know; in a totally platonic big-brother way."

Itachi laughed, "Same here, blondie; in a totally platonic little-brother way." He ruffled Naruto's hair as he usually did Sasuke's and sighed, "Those were some pretty horrible things to live through."

"The three of us have had our share of living through horrible things, definitely." Naruto met Itachi's gaze, and his smile was positively radiant, "All that means though, is that we have only the good parts of life left."

Itachi grinned, "That's certainly a nice way to look at things."

"How's the house search going?"

Itachi shrugged, "Nothing yet. We have a pretty specific idea of what we want, so it'll probably take a while."

"I want to move before Christmas." Naruto said decidedly, "We'll get a huge tree, and decorate it properly; I'll even make the bastard help. And then, we can have a big party on Christmas Eve with our friends, and call my parents over on Christmas Day for lunch! Maybe Gran can come as well. It'll be awesome!"

Sasuke grumbled, annoyed at Naruto's loud voice, making the blond chuckle and press a kiss to his forehead, "Oops. Sorry, bastard."

Itachi hummed contemplatively, "Move before Christmas, huh? Let's see."

* * *

Sasuke blinked, looking around him at all his classmates laughing and cheering. They were all wearing dark green robes, the kind the senior class usually wore when they graduated. He looked down at himself and his brows furrowed as he realised he was wearing them as well.

"Sasuke." Itachi was there beside him, smiling proudly, "Congratulations."

Sasuke smiled, "Yeah, thanks. Where's Naruto?"

Itachi's smile faltered, "What?"

Sasuke frowned, looking around, all his other friends were there talking to their parents and celebrating their graduation, but Naruto was missing. "The idiot _did_ manage to graduate, right?"

"Sasuke." Itachi's smile was gone now, replaced by a pained, haunted look, "Don't do this today."

"Don't do what?" Sasuke scowled, "Where's Naruto, Itachi? What's going on?"

"Little brother, Naruto died." Itachi said slowly, his eyes filling with pity and heartache.

Sasuke froze, his blood rushing in his ear, "Shut up."

"Sasuke."

"No! Don't touch me! What the fuck do you mean, he died?!" Sasuke cried, slapping away Itachi's outstretched arms, "He was fine yesterday. I was holding him, and he was alive. He was fine!"

"Sasuke, calm down." Itachi's voice sounded more distant.

"He was fine." Sasuke chanted under his breath, "He was fine. He was alive. Please."

His eyes snapped open to complete darkness, his heart beating a mile a minute. Panic flooded his senses as he shot up in bed looking wildly around him. Naruto. He had to find Naruto. His usuratonkachi couldn't be dead. He had to be alive. He had to be—Sasuke's eyes fell on the sleeping boy in bed beside him and the relief he felt was profound. A dream. A fucking dream.

He reached out blindly to hold his hand out over Naruto's face, feeling his breath fan against his fingers, before running his hand down the blond's chest to rest over his beating heart. Sasuke closed his eyes, allowing the proof that Naruto truly was alive and well calm his shot nerves.

"Mmmnn." Naruto stirred, his hand reaching up to close over Sasuke's, "S'uke? What are you doing up?"

"Go back to sleep." He said softly, knowing he himself wouldn't be able to follow his advice any time soon. If those were the dreams that awaited him, he'd rather not sleep.

Naruto's eyes blinked the sleep away slowly, and his hand tightened around Sasuke's on his chest, understanding lighting those blue depths. He didn't say anything, only reached out with his free hand to brush a thumb under Sasuke's tired eyes.

"I can't lose you." Sasuke breathed finally, bowing his head, "I can't. I won't survive it, and I know that sounds pathetic and ridiculous but it's true. I won't. I wouldn't even want to."

"Sasuke, I'm not going anywhere." Naruto said softly, turning the hand he held so he could lace their fingers together, "I told you before, didn't I? I won't leave you alone."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Sasuke said, shaking his head, he could make out the defeated tone of his voice and though he hated himself for it, he couldn't erase it. "Look at the amount of shit that's already happened in our lives. We clearly don't have much to go on by way of luck. Who's to say something horrible isn't waiting around the corner?"

"Sasuke." Naruto breathed, sitting up to face the Uchiha, "Why are you torturing yourself like this?" He pressed their foreheads together, gathering his thoughts for a moment before speaking again, "You're right, shit happens in this world and sometimes we have no control over it. Planes crash, bombs get detonated, people go on crazy shooting sprees, volcanoes erupt, earthquakes take place; and all of these things leave death and destruction in their wake. But the possibility of any of these things occurring to us is slim to none."

"Our pasts suggest—"

"Our pasts were shit not because of some uncontrollable event, bastard. Even just one decision made differently by our parents or ourselves would have changed the outcome drastically. Our pasts happened the way they did because we were too young to realise just how much we could have changed." Naruto said, blue eyes blazing as he held Sasuke's defeated gaze, "As long as I have any say in the matter, you aren't going to lose me. I will always choose to make the decision that would bring me back to you safely. Do you trust me enough to believe that?"

Sasuke looked away, his dream too fresh in his mind for him to really believe what Naruto was telling him. Being happy wasn't something he was used to, and he was terrified that it was going to slip away from him. It had before.

"Sasuke, look at me." Naruto ordered quietly, " _Look at me_." Black eyes turned obediently to face him, and he looked into them, waiting until they focused before speaking, "We make our own destiny, and if we decide we're going to live happily ever after, then short of our world imploding, it will bloody well happen. I will make sure it happens. If you can't trust life, then trust my words. I _never_ go back on my word."

"Naruto." Sasuke shook his head helplessly, "Don't. You don't know what could go wrong if you make statements like that."

Naruto groaned, "God, I wish that Danzou fucker was alive just so I could kill him with my own hands for doing this to you." He sighed, "Fine, bastard. I'll let it go tonight, but consider my words a promise. We're getting our happily ever after, and you're going to see you don't have to go through life waiting for things to go wrong. Sometimes, things just go right, and all that's left for us to do is to enjoy the life we've made for ourselves."

Sasuke digested the words, still uncertain about whether to truly trust in them, but Naruto was done with talking for the night. He reached out to wrap his arms around Sasuke and pull him down beside him, curling around the Uchiha's warm body as he adjusted the sheets to cover them so they were snug and warm. Pressing his face into Sasuke's chest and inhaling his forest and rain scent, Naruto sighed contentedly, closing his eyes, "I'll ask Dad if I can sleep over here for the next week. I don't want you to be alone if you have another nightmare."

Sasuke scoffed, but it sounded weak even to his own ears, "I don't need a babysitter."

"How about a boyfriend who loves you? Do you need one of those?" Naruto asked sleepily, nuzzling Sasuke's pale skin, not noticing the way the Uchiha froze at his words. It was just for a moment though, before Sasuke bent down to press a kiss to the already sleeping blond's forehead, "I already have a pretty great one." He murmured.

He didn't know how long he stayed awake fighting sleep, before it finally won him over, thankfully though the nightmare didn't return.

* * *

 **Whew. Information overload. Let me know what you guys think!**

 **In other news, I think the story is done on my side - all that's left is to put it up. I'm going to go through some major Naruto withdrawals.**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"Yo." Naruto greeted, walking across the parking lot to stand with Neji when he spotted the brunet.

Neji nodded in acknowledgement, "Where's your worse half?"

Naruto snorted in amusement, "I swear, I don't know why the two of you don't get along. You're like the same person."

"That would imply that in some alternate universe I would date you, and I assure you, Namikaze, that would never be the case." Neji said dryly.

"Okay, ouch." Naruto said, offended, "I'll have you know I'm a fucking awesome catch."

"The only one you needed to convince about that was Sasuke, and that task is already done. You don't need to extoll your virtues to me."

Naruto scowled, "What are you doing here anyway?" It was Sunday and Kushina had sent Naruto and Sasuke out to get some things from the grocery store. Since it took forever to find parking, and Sasuke had the patience of a gnat, he'd gone ahead into the store, leaving Naruto with instructions to park and wait until he was called. Like he was a pet dog.

"Hinata has ballet classes in the building behind this one but there's no parking there, so I wait for her here." Neji supplied.

Naruto's jaw dropped, "Whoa! Wait! You and Hinata are dating?! Oh shit, Kiba is going to be so bummed! Does he know?"

Neji's eye twitched, "You…are you joking? How do you not know that Hinata and I are related?"

"WHAT!" Naruto's eyes bugged out of his head.

"I suppose the rumour about blonds being less intelligent is true after all." Neji said, shaking his head in disgust, "We look like we could be twins and we share the same last name. Did the possibility that we were related really never occur to you? Neji Hyuuga. Hinata Hyuuga."

"Shit! I've seen Hinata's full name in class and I've seen yours during basketball practice — I just never made the connection! You're telling the truth!"

"Why would I lie about this, you idiot?!" Neji cried, annoyed.

Sasuke's low chuckle sounded from the side, "He's a pain, isn't he?"

Neji whirled around to face the Uchiha, "Really, how do you deal with him on a daily basis?"

"Hey!" Naruto protested loudly.

"I don't let him talk much. It's quite enjoyable when his mouth is busy doing…other things." Sasuke said, smirking, making Neji go a bit green.

"Too much information." He said firmly, shaking his head as if to dispel an image, "Way too much information."

"You pervert!" Naruto accused, glaring at Neji before turning to Sasuke, "And you! What the hell do you think you're saying out in public?!"

"Um, what's going on here?" Hinata asked, lavender eyes wide as she took in the scene before her.

"Hinata!" Naruto cried in relief, "Help me out here. These two are being complete creeps!"

"These two?" Hinata repeated with some disbelief, "Neji and Sasuke are agreeing on something?"

"Yeah. Agreeing to be big perverts!" Naruto yelled angrily.

"Usuratonkachi, don't put on airs like you aren't one just because there's a female present." Sasuke said, shaking his head, "I seem to recall someone telling me that he'd been watching a lot of g—"

"Fucking hell, Sasuke!" Naruto growled, his hand firmly over his boyfriend's mouth, "What's gotten into you today?"

"Nothing yet." His voice was muffled, but the words were clear, "I don't think we're quite ready to take that step in our relationship."

Naruto felt his whole body blush at that, and Neji let out an annoyed growl, "Thank you again, Uchiha for that wonderful visual."

"Hey, if you want visuals, go get your own boyfriend. Don't use mine." Sasuke said, black eyes glinting deviously at the Hyuuga.

Looking torn between disgust at the crude comments and annoyance that he'd been outspoken in this conversation, Neji turned with a huff and stalked to his car, "Come on, Hinata."

Hinata, who was by now fighting a losing battle with laughter, nodded soundlessly before following her cousin. She considered waving goodbye to Naruto, but he looked so shellshocked, she doubted he'd have even noticed.

"Usuratonkachi. Are you going to stand there and gape all afternoon? Kushina wanted these things urgently." Sasuke said, holding up plastic bags.

"Really?!" Naruto burst out, trying to get his colouring back to normal, "Are we not going to talk about what you just said?"

Sasuke feigned innocence as he led the way to his car, "Well, I really don't think I'm ready to be fucked yet. Are you?"

"Sasuke!"

The Uchiha turned with a smile, a real, honest-to-god smile that stole Naruto's breath, "It's so much fun to piss you off. The added bonus of annoying Neji as well was too much to resist." He waited till Naruto was close enough before he leaned in, "Besides. I really love making you blush."

"You can say whatever you want, wherever you want, if you just promise to smile like that for me again." Naruto said, softly, reaching out to cup one of Sasuke's cheeks, "So fucking beautiful."

Sasuke grimaced, "What have I told you about calling me that word? I'm a man."

"You're a beautiful man." Naruto said simply, before a brilliant smile curved his lips and he leaned forward to breathe hotly into Sasuke's ear, " _My_ beautiful man."

A shiver ran down the Uchiha's spine as he held Naruto's darkening blue gaze, licking his suddenly dry lips. "You think your dad will let you stay over again tonight?"

"Maybe. If I tell him you're having nightmares." Naruto said, getting into the driver's seat and waiting till Sasuke had shut the door and buckled up before putting the car in gear.

"Good. Because I have a feeling I'm going to get another one tonight."

Naruto shot his boyfriend a sideways glance and met his dark, mischievous gaze, chuckling, "Well then, I'll do my best to convince him. I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend who loves you if I left you to face those dreams alone, would I?"

Sasuke blinked, mischievousness disappearing for the moment, "You remember saying that?"

"I remember your response as well." Naruto said lightly.

Sasuke felt his cheeks heat as he grumbled, looking away.

Naruto laughed, "Only you would get annoyed about being overheard saying something nice."

"Shut up, usuratonkachi."

"Shutting up, bastard."

* * *

"Try and keep your voices down!" Itachi called out teasingly as Naruto slammed Sasuke's room door shut by pressing the Uchiha back against it, their lips already pressed together, tongues sliding as Naruto's hands moved possessively over Sasuke's slender frame. While both boys were the same height, Sasuke was leaner while Naruto had broader shoulders and more muscle-mass. Usually, when Sasuke took the lead, Naruto let him, perfectly happy with being worshipped by his boyfriend's eyes, lips and hands. Today though he could tell that Sasuke was the one who needed the attention, and he was only too happy to provide it.

"Oh fuck." Sasuke groaned, throwing his head back to slam hard against the door as Naruto's hand slipped down to his ass and squeezed, easily lifting him off the ground to wrap his legs around the blond's waist. He pressed forward and their hard-ons ground together, making them both hiss. Where Sasuke usually drew back and started a rhythm of sorts, Naruto simply kept pressing forward, making the pale boy trapped between him and the door curse and thrash as he tried to get away from the overwhelming pressure on his erection. He couldn't decide if he liked the pressure or not, the pleasure bordering on pain, confusing his already hazy mind. The pressure disappeared and Sasuke tried to catch his breath, his hands digging into Naruto's shoulders as he fought for some semblance of calm. It was kind of embarrassing how quickly the blond had managed to work him up. Then again, he'd been thinking about this since their run-in with Neji that afternoon.

"Don't think about others when you have me touching you." Naruto said, his voice rough and husky as he kissed and nipped his way down Sasuke's neck.

The Uchiha gave a breathless laugh, "What are you, a mind-reader now?"

"No." Naruto's hands slipped under Sasuke's t-shirt and he skimmed them upwards, his thumbs moving to brush roughly against Sasuke's nipples as his other fingers branded his boyfriend with their heat. When Sasuke pulled his lower lip into his mouth and let out the softest of grunts, Naruto chuckled, "I'm just an expert at reading you."

He got rid of the t-shirt, making quick work of Sasuke's jeans as he walked them backward towards the bed. Sasuke tried to push away his questing hands, his voice little more than a growl as he complained, "Fuck you, usuratonkachi. You're still fully dressed."

"We'll get to me later." Naruto promised pulling down the Uchiha's jeans and boxers in one move, getting them off each leg before tossing them aside like he had the top, "Right now is about you." He sat back on his haunches and allowed his eyes to rove over the picture Sasuke made, spread out in bed, naked, flushed, black eyes glinting with that slight edge of danger that made him oh-so-fucking sexy. Naruto shook his head, it was times like this he couldn't quite believe his luck. He reached forward to cup Sasuke's pale, perfectly sculpted face, "You're so fucking beautiful. So beautiful." He leaned forward and bit Sasuke's lower lip roughly, making the Uchiha yelp at the sudden attack, "And all mine."

He proceeded to mark his territory, leaving no inch of that pale skin unexplored. He licked every dip and crevice, kissed as much of the flawless skin as he could manage, sucking marks into the skin every now and then to leave his boyfriend looking a bit like a Dalmatian. Sasuke cursed him out and protested to each mark, but he didn't push Naruto away, instead arching into the blond's lips, the most compliant that Naruto had ever seen him. Saving the best for last, Naruto kissed his way up the inside of Sasuke's quivering thighs, licking at the spot behind his testicles, making the Uchiha utter an incredibly interesting sound. Hearing it gave Naruto an idea.

"W-Wait! What are you doing?!" Sasuke asked, alarmed, as he watched Naruto pull his legs over the blond's shoulders, leaving a part of his body he still hadn't entirely explored open and exposed to the idiot's face.

"I know I told you I'd give you a proper one last time, but this opportunity is a bit too good to pass up." Naruto said, blue eyes glinting with cockiness and mischief, "Who knows when I'll have you spread open like this for me again?"

With that comment hanging in the air, he pressed his face forward, his tongue darting out to pass over the small pink opening. Sasuke cried out in surprise at the jolt of pleasure from the contact, arching up off the bed. Encouraged by the response, Naruto felt out the area with his tongue, pushing in slightly, moaning as velvety heat enveloped his muscle. Moving almost instinctively, one of his hands reached up to fist Sasuke's leaking cock while the other played with his balls while Naruto tongue-fucked his boyfriend's ass. The sounds that spilled from the Uchiha's lips were ones Naruto recorded mentally, if only so he could play back sometime when he was alone and revel once more in how lucky he was to have managed to bag Sasuke fucking Uchiha. It didn't take long for the combination of all three stimuli to push Sasuke over the edge. He came with Naruto's name on his lips, his body going limp after the orgasm, his heart thundering while his lungs tried and seemed to fail to fill up with air.

Naruto made quick work of his clothes, hovering over a blissed-out Sasuke as he jerked himself off. When Sasuke regained enough braincells to actually move and touch him, he came apart, his seed joining Sasuke's to coat his stomach and chest. Not caring about the mess, Naruto let himself fall onto his boyfriend, smiling slightly when the Uchiha's arms went around him rather than pushed him away. After a few long moments of silence, Sasuke suddenly spoke.

"I'm never going to be one of those ridiculous people who is constantly spouting out their feelings, but just so we're on the same page…you know that you have one too, right?"

Naruto frowned slightly, lifting his head to look at Sasuke's still-flushed face, his black eyes torn between seriousness and embarrassment. "I know I have one what?" He asked, befuddled.

"You know you have a boyfriend who loves you too, right?" Sasuke's cheeks were pink, and Naruto felt his love for the other boy grow just a little more, as if it were even possible.

"Yeah." He said grinning widely, "I know. I think he's pretty fucking awesome."

Sasuke let out a breathless laugh, "Well, that goes without saying."

Naruto shook his head, rolling his eyes, "You are such a bastard."

"Your bastard though, right?"

"My bastard." He agreed, leaning down to kiss Sasuke once more, "All mine."

* * *

 **A shorter chapter - but it made me smile while writing it, hopefully it did the same for you as you read it.**

 **Please leave a review when you follow/favourite this story! :) I love hearing what my readers think.**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"Well, this is a rare sight. My son sans Uchihas. Is it raining outside?" Minato asked Kushina, dropping a kiss on her brow before going over to do the same to Naruto.

"Haha. Sasuke had an early council meeting." Naruto explained, taking a bite of his pancakes.

Kushina shot him an arched look, "Your son is fighting with his boyfriend."

"Fighting?" Minato looked alarmed, "Why? What did you do?"

"How come you immediately assume it's my fault?" Naruto cried, outraged. When his father gave him a wry look, he rubbed a hand on the back of his head, "Well, there was so much happening you know, I didn't mean to forget!"

"What are you talking about, kiddo?"

"He forgot to tell Sasuke his birthday is tomorrow. Of course, I didn't know that so I asked Sasuke what they had planned for tomorrow, and well, you can guess how that went." Kushina said, shaking her head.

"He got all silent and pissed off." Naruto whined, "And it wasn't his usual annoyed anger either, this was the real deal! He didn't even call to see if I was planning to get up early to go to his meeting with him, which I was."

Minato gave his son a conciliatory pat on the back, "Well done on screwing up."

"It's _my_ birthday." Naruto grumbled, "How is it fair that _he_ gets to be mad about it?"

"If it were the other way around, wouldn't you be upset?" Minato asked, raising a single brow as he made himself a cup of coffee.

Naruto scowled, "Well, yeah."

"Then that argument holds no ground. Start thinking of how you're going to get him to forgive you because otherwise you're both probably going to be miserable and not talking tomorrow." Minato advised.

"Listen to your father. He screwed up plenty when we first started going out." Kushina said dryly, "He's talking from experience."

"Hey! That was uncalled for warfare!" Minato pouted.

Kushina snorted in amusement, giving him a quick kiss on the lips, "It's okay honey, I still love you. Besides, you grew up eventually."

Naruto watched his parents go into their own little love bubble and he sighed, frowning. Get Sasuke to forgive him? He thought back to the previous evening replaying the conversation in his mind.

 _"Day after tomorrow?" Sasuke frowned, confused, "We don't have anything planned. Why? Is something happening?"_

 _"Something happ—Naruto! Did you not tell the boy your birthday was coming up?!" Kushina asked, appalled._

 _Naruto felt dread build up within him, "Uh, well, with everything that's been going on, I didn't think it was such a big deal."_

 _"Not a big deal?! You're turning eighteen! Of course it's a big deal! Oh, I'm so sorry about him, Sasuke honey. I tried to train him well, but he's just too much like his father." Kushina bemoaned, shaking her head in exasperation. "Anyway, come on in boys, we'll plan something out together."_

 _"Actually, I have some things to do. I'm sorry, Kushina." Sasuke said politely, before turning without so much as looking at Naruto, surprising the blond. He was halfway up his driveway before Naruto gathered himself up enough to run after him, "Hey! Bastard!"_

 _"What?" The word was clipped and the tone razor sharp._

 _"You're not actually angry right? I swear, it's not a big deal. We don't have to do anything." Naruto insisted, thinking this would appease the dark-haired boy._

 _"Oh, we won't." Sasuke assured him stiffly before stalking away._

He hadn't responded to any of the texts or answered any of Naruto's calls either. When Itachi had picked up the landline at two in the morning and told him to please try to keep their domestic disputes from disturbing his sleep schedule, Naruto had finally given up, thinking he'd talk to Sasuke in the morning. Of course, the bastard had just left him behind and gone to school. Fucking asshole.

He managed to track Sasuke down before lunch, having to literally corner the Uchiha before Naruto could speak to him without him walking away.

"What the fuck, Sasuke? I get that you're pissed, but God, it's not like I didn't tell you on purpose! I seriously just forgot about it, bastard!" He growled, not caring about the many looks the two of them were drawing, standing as close together as they were in a corridor that got a lot of traffic.

"Move." Sasuke's voice was low and deadly, which the blond had expected, but what Naruto couldn't understand was the underlying layer of hurt in it.

"Sasuke?" He probed quietly, a slight frown on his lips.

Black eyes met his, burning with hurt and anger, "It's convenient how it slipped your mind to tell _me_ , but Kiba and Hinata have had enough advance notice that they've planned an entire fucking party for you!"

"Whoa!" Kiba came out of nowhere, barreling into the two of them, sending Sasuke falling into Naruto's arms, "Sasuke, dude, spoiler alert! It was supposed to be a _surprise_ party, asshole!"

Sasuke wrenched himself out of Naruto's hold, "Right. I apologise." He said gruffly, brushing himself off, "Enjoy your surprise party with your friends, Naruto."

Naruto watched him walk away and once he was out of sight the blond let out a frustrated yell as he slammed the side of his fist into the nearest locker, denting the metal slightly. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I didn't just screw up. I might have earned myself a gold medal as the worst fucking boyfriend of all time."

"Okay, clearly I'm missing something." Kiba said, looking from Naruto's face to the spot where Sasuke had disappeared, "Why was Uchiha throwing such a bitch-fit?"

"I didn't tell him my birthday was tomorrow."

"Ah." Kiba said, clearly not understanding at all.

"My mom asked him what we had planned, and obviously he had nothing planned, since he didn't _know_. So he got pissed, and wouldn't talk to me, but at some point he must have talked to Shikamaru because he heard about your plans. Now he thinks I told everyone and not him and he's embarrassed and pissed off and hurt, and God, I don't know how to fix this!" Naruto cried, taking Kiba by the shoulders and shaking him in his growing panic.

"Okay, dude. First of all, chill the fuck out." Kiba said, holding Naruto's gaze steadily until the blond's breathing slowed and his hysteria died down.

"I never meant to _hurt_ him. That's the last fucking thing I wanted to do." Naruto sighed, running a hand over his face, "We have a freaking amazing—for the most part—weekend and then this happens."

"Listen, clearly you pulled a dick move," Naruto shot him a glare and Kiba held his hands up in surrender, "but all you need to do is apologise. From what I saw, that's not what you were trying to do just now."

"No." Naruto admitted, frowning, "I was yelling at him for acting like such an asshole."

Kiba let out a low whistling sound, "Dude, you're one of my closest friends, but can I just say—you're a massive idiot."

"I know." The blond moaned pitifully.

"No point feeling sorry for yourself now." Kiba said firmly, slapping Naruto on the back, "Get your shit together and apologise when you see him in class."

Only Sasuke never showed up for class.

"Wait!" Naruto cried out when Iruka Umino, their Trigonometry teacher began to take class, "Sasuke isn't here!"

Iruka gave him a dry look, "Contrary to what Mr Uchiha believes, everyone's lives do not revolve around him. If he isn't here, he'll be marked absent, Mr Namikaze."

"But Sasuke never misses a class!" Naruto protested, his eyes widening in alarm, "What if he's hurt or, or—"

"I saw him drive out of school during lunch." One girl volunteered.

"He _left_?!" Naruto swore under his breath as he quickly packed his things.

"Mr Namikaze, just what do you think you're doing?" Iruka demanded, annoyed.

"Please let me go." Naruto begged, "It's my birthday tomorrow and I'd really like to be on speaking terms with my boyfriend."

All of a sudden the class was filled with the sound of chattering and Iruka let out a defeated sigh, "There goes the rest of my hour; teenagers and their drama." He rolled his eyes, waving Naruto away, "Go on. It isn't like you're going to be able to pay attention in class in the state you're in."

"Thank you, Mr Umino! I owe you big time!" Naruto dashed out of the class, leaving complete pandemonium in his wake as the rest of the students in class wondered if they'd really heard Naruto right when he'd called Sasuke his 'boyfriend' instead of 'best friend'.

When Itachi opened the front door of the Uchiha house with a cool look on his face, Naruto groaned, "Please, I can only handle one of you mad at me at a time. You can be angry after I've got Sasuke to start talking to me again."

"He's very upset, Naruto." Itachi said with a slight frown, arms crossed at his chest.

Naruto looked positively forlorn as he looked up at the older Uchiha, "Do you hate me?"

Itachi took in the pathetic expression and sighed, beckoning the blond forward. When he was within reach, he poked him on the forehead in what Naruto had come to call the 'signature Uchiha' way, "Of course I don't hate you, you idiot."

Naruto visibly relaxed, hugging Itachi, "Thank God. I already don't know how to get the bastard to forgive me. If you'd been mad too, I'd have saved myself the trouble and just jumped into the ocean or something."

Itachi snorted in amusement, "You look at him the way you just looked at me, he won't be able to help but forgive you."

"He's here, isn't he? I can't believe he skipped class." Naruto shook his head, "He must be really pissed off."

"He called to let me know when he was driving out of school, and after hearing the situation I decided to come back and keep an eye on him. My little brother can be a bit…volatile when he's this angry."

"Point noted." Naruto said, taking a deep breath, "Okay, wish me luck."

Itachi chuckled, "For what it's worth, good luck."

* * *

Sasuke glared at his room door anticipating the knock before it came, "Go away."

"Sasuke, please? I'm really _really_ sorry. I feel like a jackass; just please, let me in so I can at least explain why Kiba and Hinata knew." Sasuke had to admit, his usuratonkachi sounded pretty miserable. Good.

"Explain, and I'll decide if it's good enough to let you in or not."

"Okay, fine." Naruto sighed, "I told them on the first day of school. The three of us were making awkward 'getting to know each other' conversation, you know? Do you have any siblings? When's your birthday? Do you like to read? The kind of stuff the two of us never really talked about because everything just kind of _fit_ when we met. I mean, I was thinking about it today and I realised I don't know when your birthday is either!"

Naruto waited as silence met his explanation; and then the door swung inward revealing Sasuke dressed in dark blue sweats and a black long-sleeved tee, "July 23rd. My birthday is on July 23rd."

"Thank fucking God." Naruto breathed, throwing himself at the Uchiha, kissing him hard, "For a while there, I really thought you were going to break up with me over this."

"You idiot." Sasuke snorted, knocking their foreheads together, "Never letting go, remember? Even when you infuriate me to the point of murder."

"I really am sorry." Naruto apologised again, this time murmuring the apology against Sasuke's lips, "You have every right to be mad at me, but I'm really hoping you'll postpone the being mad bit till after tomorrow. You see, I've never really had a birthday party before, and I'd really fucking like it if my boyfriend would come with me as my date."

"He'll put your request under consideration." Sasuke said, smirking against the blond's lips, pulling him inside and slamming his room door shut. He pushed Naruto up against it and kissed him deeply, angling the blond's head so he could map out the inside of his mouth, and drink in his addictive taste. He pulled away slightly to nibble along the blond's jaw, "You want me there as your date, huh? You realise half our year is going to be there."

"Yeah, that's not really going to be an issue." Naruto said, grinning sheepishly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, lifting his head to meet blue eyes, "What did you do?"

"I might have called you my boyfriend in front of our entire Trig class." Naruto admitted, chuckling ruefully, "I was talking to Mr Umino, but obviously, I was a bit loud."

"Why were you—you know what? Never mind, I don't want to know." Sasuke said, shaking his head. "Anyway, I don't care. I told Shikamaru the first day we started this, you and me together isn't something I'm ashamed of."

"You're so hot when you talk like that." Naruto murmured through his grin as he pulled Sasuke's head down to his own again.

"Usuratonkachi, I'm _always_ hot."

"Okay, you two, I'm going to stop this before it goes any further." Itachi's voice interrupted them through the door, making Naruto groan and Sasuke scowl, "Go away."

"Minato thinks he might have found a house."

The door flew open so fast that it actually ended up hitting Naruto on the head as it swung inward. Itachi grimaced, reaching out to hold the blond's head still as he inspected the bruise, "Okay, blondie?"

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto said dismissively, "What were you saying about a house?"

"Your dad thinks he might have found one. He's called Kakashi over for dinner and we're going to discuss the details. If we're all on board, we'll go see it together tomorrow."

"It would be the best birthday gift _ever_!" Naruto breathed, excitement radiating off him.

Sasuke met his brother's gaze, his own warring between hesitant and hopeful, "Is there a good chance this could be it?"

"Kakashi, Minato and I have looked at a lot of houses over the last two weeks and nothing has ever really stood out before as what we needed, even though some of them were pretty spectacular." Itachi said, his lips curving in a small, excited smile of his own, "If Minato is calling a family meeting over this place, it's probably more than just a good chance."

Sasuke watched a bit numbly as Naruto jumped up and down a few times before he talked himself into calming down. That was when blue eyes turned to him, "It's okay to be excited, bastard." Naruto said, sounding a bit too knowing for Sasuke's liking.

"We don't even know if anything is going to come out of this. It's ridiculous to get all worked up over—"

"Shut up." Naruto suggested, his hand closed over Sasuke's mouth, his lips curving in a warm smile, "Tell me you're excited." His hand dropped away, and both Itachi and he looked at the younger Uchiha expectantly.

Sasuke let out a long, shaky breath as a smile slowly curved his lips, "I'm excited."

* * *

"It's _where_?" Naruto asked, unable to believe his ears.

Minato gave him a wide grin, "It's just down the street, the house at the dead-end. It has a huge front yard with a wide driveway leading up to it. The house is a bit run-down but it's got all the space we wanted. There are ten bedrooms, twelve baths, two kitchens, a living room, a den and a deck out back looking into a private section of the forest that's walled away from the rest of the woods."

"And this is within our budget?" Sasuke reiterated, trying to focus on not getting carried away by the description; Naruto was doing that enough for the both of them.

It was Kakashi who responded to his question, "Even if we only consider your share, my share, and Itachi's share of the budget, we have a small fortune amassed. Adding Minato's contribution, we likely have enough to not only purchase the house but make whatever renovations we need made to suit our purposes."

Minato nodded, continuing the conversation on the same vein by beginning to dissect the money aspect of the purchase, but Sasuke was no longer paying attention. His eyes narrowed on the suddenly quiet blond, standing to the side with his head slightly turned away, a slight frown playing on his lips.

"Usuratonkachi?"

The frown was immediately replaced with a smile that only looked slightly forced, and blue eyes moved to Sasuke's face, "What is it, bastard?"

"What's wrong?"

Blue eyes narrowed and darkened, but mouth stayed smiling, "What are you talking about? Nothing is wrong."

"Naruto." Sasuke frowned deeply, and his intense stare was enough to have Naruto scowling and looking away once more.

"It just doesn't seem fair."

By now their conversation had drawn the others' attention as well, "What?" Sasuke asked, arching a brow.

"Even you are going to be contributing money from your trust fund to buy the house. I'm not doing anything! And yet, somehow, I'll get to come and live there with all of you. I feel like some kind of freeloader." Naruto grumbled, keeping his face averted, not looking any of them in the eye, especially Sasuke.

"Kiddo, I thought I explained that your mom and I are going to be paying your share. No one expects you to have the money for something like this right now, Naruto." Minato tried to reason, his voice gentle.

"I _know_ that, Dad! I know I'm being ridiculous." Naruto sighed in defeat, "That's why I didn't say anything."

Sasuke met Itachi's gaze and both of them turned to Kakashi who gave them a subtle nod. Sasuke stepped back and Itachi stepped forward, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezing, "Alright then. We have a proposition for you to satisfy your contribution requirements and it has absolutely nothing to do with money. Interested?"

"Yeah! Of course I am!" Naruto lit up like a Christmas tree, eyes alight with eagerness and excitement, "What can I do?"

"Just be yourself." Itachi said simply, and the blond's face fell as he shrugged off the older Uchiha's hand, "I thought you were being serious." He accused, clearly annoyed.

"I am." Itachi said firmly, "Blondie, think about it, who was it that even came up with the idea of all of us moving into a new house together?"

"Sasuke." Naruto said flatly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "I only suggested a new house for Itachi and myself. I wasn't thinking to include anyone else in my plans. This circus was your idea, usuratonkachi. You were the one who told Itachi we could get a space big enough for all three of us."

"And that little suggestion triggered my joining in as well." Kakashi said lightly, smiling when the blond looked over at him in slight confusion.

"Okay then, so this was my idea. What does that have to do with anything?" Naruto asked, pouting and crossing his arms at his chest.

"You brought us together, blondie. Your contribution is going to be making sure we _stay_ together." Itachi said, holding Naruto's gaze with a steady one of his own, "Uchihas can be notoriously difficult, and Kakashi is no walk in the park either. There are going to be several instances when one or all of us is going to question the sanity of cohabiting under one roof; you need to be the glue that holds us together." Itachi watched as his words slowly sank in, "What do you think, Naruto? Are you up for it?"

A small smile curved the blond's lips and his eyes darted to meet Sasuke's and Kakashi's gaze before coming back to rest on Itachi's, "I know you're doing this just so I'll feel better, and damn it all, it's working." He poked Itachi on the forehead, making the older Uchiha's eyes widen since he'd never before been the recipient of that particular gesture of affection, "Thanks, Itachi."

Minato watched the scene and exchanged a somewhat-sad-but-at-the-same-time-overjoyed smile with Kushina. Once upon a time, the two of them were Naruto's only focus, his only comfort, the only people he turned to when he needed something, and that was no longer the case. Those two dark-haired boys from next door had won a permanent place for themselves in Naruto's heart and they seemed to understand him on a level neither he or Kushina could as the blond's parents. Their bond was special and the brothers clearly knew this and valued it. Minato could tell that Naruto was loved deeply, in albeit different ways, by the two Uchihas, and it only reaffirmed his conviction that he was making the right decision letting Naruto move in with them now.

He stepped up behind Naruto, slipping an arm around his son's shoulder and squeezing, "I think all that's left to say is that I don't think we're going to come across another house like this in Konoha." Minato said quietly, smiling at the four of them, "It's probably a good idea if we go in for the inspection tomorrow with the view that we're buying the place and just make note of whatever things you would need changed. This way we can sit afterwards and approximate the cost of the renovations before we put in a bid for the house."

"That means…That means this is the house. This is the house we're going to spend the rest of our lives in." Sasuke said slowly, as if he were digesting the information even as he spoke it. He looked to Naruto for confirmation and the blond gave him that look the Uchiha had yearned to have directed at him the first time he'd seen him, "I definitely don't have any plans to move again, bastard. Itachi or Kakashi might though; you know when they get married or whatever."

The thought hadn't occurred to Sasuke before and his brows furrowed. Of course. He'd met Naruto; he knew who he was going to spend the rest of his life with, but Itachi was still single. If whoever he fell in love with didn't want to live with so many other people, his brother would move. Sasuke found that he didn't like the idea at all. Itachi was the only family he had left, and he wanted to keep him close.

It was a testament to how deep in thought he was that Sasuke visibly jumped a little when Itachi's arm went around his shoulders and squeezed in a gesture that was out-of-place for both of them, but comforting all the same. "Actually, I've mentioned our changing living situation to the person I'm seeing and they're all for it. If things do get serious between us, I'm sure they'll have no trouble with moving in with us. They know how much Sasuke, and now you, blondie, mean to me."

"Wait, what?! You're seeing someone?!" Naruto cried, stunned, he turned accusingly to Sasuke, "Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?"

"Likely because this is the first time _I'm_ hearing about it too, usuratonkachi." Sasuke said coolly, shaking his brother's arm off to glare at him.

Kakashi chuckled, "I told you they were going to be mad." He said, not helping the situation at all.

" _He_ knew and I didn't?" Sasuke growled, eyes narrowing into slits.

Itachi looked sheepish, "Honestly, Sasuke, I didn't know how you'd take it before. Well, now, obviously I know you'll be accepting, what with Naruto and everything, but—"

"You're dating a guy!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide as saucers now, "Oh my god, I'm so mind-blown right now."

"How long?" Sasuke bit out, fists clenching at his sides.

"Four months." Itachi said softly, looking truly miserable, "I wanted to give it some time before I told you. There was no sense in making a big deal of it if it wasn't going to last. Not everyone is as lucky as you or Naruto; to know as soon as it happens that it is real and that you've found your soulmate."

"Is four months enough time?" Sasuke asked, arching a single brow.

Itachi did something uncharacteristic then—he hesitated—before finally shaking his head, "I need a few more months to be sure, but it's gotten to a point where I want you to meet him."

Sasuke stared at Itachi for a long moment, his black gaze considering, and as he did, Naruto stepped up next to him, nudging his shoulder, "Come on, Sasuke. Don't be a bastard for once."

The younger Uchiha's lips pursed, "You're bringing him to the house inspection and Naruto's party tomorrow."

Itachi blinked, before nodding slowly, "Of course."

"Hn." Sasuke turned his head away, but Naruto gave Itachi a wide, excited grin, "Translation: we can't wait to meet him."

* * *

 **This should make up for the short chapter last week :) Itachi has a boyfriend! Any guesses?**

 **Leave a review!**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"This is going to be the longest day in the history of long days!" Naruto moaned, collapsing back into the passenger side seat of Sasuke's sleek dark blue BMW.

Sasuke rolled his eyes before leaning over the gear box to kiss his usuratonkachi roughly, biting at his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood and an annoyed growl from the blond before soothing the cut with his tongue, and sliding it into Naruto's mouth to get his morning dose of that addictive taste.

He pulled away only when both of them were practically out of air and only far enough so their lips were no longer touching, his nose nudging Naruto's as he rested his forehead against the blond's. His grip tightened in soft golden hair, "Happy birthday, idiot."

He could feel Naruto's lips curve in a grin against his lips as the blond leaned forward to give him a quick kiss, "Already the best birthday ever."

Sasuke snorted as he pulled back and started the car, "Obviously. You have me now."

Naruto chuckled, reaching over to run his hands through silky black hair, his fingers lightly scratching the scalp underneath, "Such a bastard; though that's what attracted me, I guess."

"I told you people find arrogance attractive."

"Shut up and drive." Naruto said, letting his hand drop from his boyfriend's hair. He sighed as they made their way to school, "This is going to be the longest day in the history of long days."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a knack for dramatics?" Sasuke asked dryly, turning into the school parking lot.

"People shouldn't have to sit through an entire day of school on their birthdays." Naruto complained, completely ignoring the Uchiha's question, "Especially not when there's so much to do on that day! Why do we have to wait for five hours till school is over? It's not like we're going to learn anything life-changing today!"

Sasuke got out of the car, waiting until the blond was out before locking it and beginning to walk towards the spot their group usually met up at before the first bell. Naruto continued to complain in the same vein beside him, knowing better than to stop and wait for Sasuke's input on his tirade. It was how Sakura found them, Naruto talking loudly and Sasuke fiddling with his phone. She frowned slightly as she approached, "What's wrong, Naruto?"

"Don't ask him." Sasuke said in a monotone, not even looking up from his phone, "You don't want him to start again. He's just about winding down."

Naruto scowled, turning to punch his boyfriend on the shoulder, "Why are you such a bastard?"

Sasuke's lips curved in an amused smile as his eyes moved to meet Naruto's blue gaze, "Because you find it attractive. Isn't that what you said in the car just now?"

Sakura giggled as she watched Naruto's ears go red before he turned to her, "Don't listen to him, Sakura! He's a bastard and a liar! I didn't say anything like that."

"Oh really?" Sasuke's tone was almost playful now, and Sakura had a small heart attack when the Uchiha simply leaned over to suck Naruto's earlobe into his mouth, nibbling on it in a way that made her blush furiously and made Naruto let out a strangled noise that was halfway between a moan and a growl before he shoved him away, "What the fuck are you doing, bastard?!"

Sasuke just smirked, "Hn."

How Naruto deciphered that grunt, Sakura didn't know, but he seemed to if the way he went even more red in the face before he averted his gaze was any indication. He pouted slightly, "Just go away."

With a low chuckle, Sasuke obliged, but not before pressing a light kiss to the blond's lips, drawing just about every gaze in the parking lot, "I considered the request you made yesterday, and I accept. Pick me up at seven." With that said, he strolled away, uncaring of all the eyes on his back except for one pair.

"Fucking bastard." Naruto muttered, consciously trying to deflate his suddenly half-hard cock, "I'd hate him if I didn't love him so damn much."

Sakura laughed, "Happy birthday, Naruto."

Just like that, his anger with Sasuke seemed forgotten as the blond's entire face lit with joy, "Thanks, Sakura! You're coming to the party tonight right?"

The pink-haired girl frowned slightly, "I thought it was a surprise party."

"Uchiha fucked up the surprise. I couldn't even get mad at him about it." Kiba supplied, coming up behind Naruto to slap him on the back, "Happy birthday dude. Judging from the eyeful the whole school just got, I'm guessing you managed to get him to forgive you."

Naruto chuckled, nodding, "I'm bringing a date for my party tonight by the way."

"It figures that it took something as obvious as a kiss to make everyone see the true nature of your relationship." Shikamaru said, looking almost disappointed with the rest of the student population.

"Not all of us think things through the way you do, Shikamaru." Choji defended lightly, stepping up beside his best friend, "Happy birthday Naruto."

"Can I just say that kiss was adorable?" Ino said, reaching out to ruffle Naruto's hair, "You both are so cute together!"

"We're men." Naruto protested, "Men aren't cute!"

"We beg to differ." Hinata said, smiling as she joined the fray, "Congratulations on coming out, Naruto."

"Such a passionate display of love and affection! I'm moved by your feelings, Naruto!" Lee exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Where's Neji?" Naruto wondered, smiling at Tenten as she walked up behind Lee looking resigned to the other boy's exuberance.

Hinata laughed, "Oh we drove up just as Sasuke kissed you. Neji said he needed to go find a bathroom to throw up in."

Recalling the rather explicit conversation outside the grocery store, Naruto grimaced, "Can't blame him, I guess."

"Hang on a minute! You said you were bringing a date!" Kiba cried, his eyes wide, "Sasuke agreed to come to the party as your date?!"

"He did!" Naruto confirmed, grinning like a madman, "I'm picking him up at seven."

Shikamaru chuckled, "He's managed to surprise me again." He said, shaking his head, "Every time I think I have him figured out. Maybe it's an Uchiha trait; I find his brother incredibly difficult to decipher as well."

"Oh, that reminds me." Naruto said, blinking, "Itachi is going to be bringing someone to the party tonight too, Kiba. I thought you should know if you're keeping a headcount or something."

"Itachi?" Kiba's brows furrowed, "As in Sasuke's elder brother? Why the hell would he even be coming for the party? Isn't he like five years older than us?"

"Kiba! Itachi is like my family! He has to be there! You weren't going to invite him?!" Naruto cried, astonished.

Hinata sighed, "I told him that you would probably want Itachi at the party."

"Yeah! I do. It's okay if he comes right? With a plus one?" Naruto turned big, pleading blue eyes at the Inuzuka who just sighed and shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. He can come."

"Yes! This is going to be the best party ever!" Naruto shouted, throwing a fist up in the air in excitement, "And you, Kiba, are like the best friend ever! You know, after the bastard; though I don't know if he even counts as a best friend anymore. Can someone be both a best friend and a boyfriend?"

Kiba snorted, torn between exasperation and fondness as he shook his head, "You're grateful. I get it. Now shut up and let's get to class man. I'm guessing you really don't want a detention on your birthday."

Naruto looked horrified at the thought, "Right. Onwards to class!" He walked backwards for a bit as he called back to the others, "See you guys at lunch!"

Before any of them could respond, he'd disappeared down the hall with Kiba, Hinata trailing behind them.

"You really can't help but like him, can you?" Sakura mused, smiling softly.

"It would be pretty damn hard to do anything else." Shikamaru agreed.

"Who would have thought that in a matter of two months one boy was going to be able to wrap Sasuke Uchiha around his finger?" Tenten chuckled, amused, "Never mind that Naruto is just as wrapped around Sasuke's finger."

"It's not just Sasuke." Shikamaru said lightly, "Neji talks more, Hinata doesn't stutter, Kiba has mellowed a bit and Sakura is no longer infatuated with Sasuke. Naruto has impacted all our lives in some way or another, and I know for a fact his sheer joy at having all of us as his friends makes me value our bonds more as well."

Ino made a sound of agreement, "He has a strange magic about him."

"I'm glad he moved here. We all needed him, even if we didn't know it then." Choji said sagely.

The first bell rang and the group of friends exchanged smiles before making their way to class.

* * *

It was agreed that Sasuke and Naruto would meet Itachi's boyfriend at the Uchihas' house before walking down to join Minato, Kushina and Kakashi at their prospective future home. When Sasuke pulled into his driveway he could see Itachi's Ferrari convertible parked in its spot in the garage and his hands clenched on the steering wheel.

"He's probably a really great guy." Naruto said conversationally.

"Hn."

"And he's probably just as nervous as you are."

Black eyes turned to glare balefully at the blond, "I am _not_ nervous."

"Sure." Naruto said in a tone that suggested he didn't believe Sasuke in the least.

Sasuke scowled, but said nothing further, making no move to get out of the car either. After five minutes, Naruto rolled his eyes and opened his car door, making the Uchiha look over sharply, "What are you doing, usuratonkachi?"

"It's called getting out of the car, bastard. It isn't too complicated, but you seem to be having some difficulty with it." The Namikaze said dryly.

Growling under his breath, Sasuke got out of the car and slammed his door shut, stalking up to the front door before freezing once more. This time, Naruto stepped up behind him, wrapping his arms around the Uchiha's waist, nuzzling the back of his neck, "Itachi loves you. You haven't forgotten that, right?"

Sasuke released a shaky breath, "Of course not. I'm easy to love." He said, his voice trembling only a little as he spoke.

"I can vouch for that." Naruto agreed, chuckling as he dropped a kiss to Sasuke's shoulder, tightening his hold on his boyfriend, "This means a lot to Itachi, bastard. Be nice."

As soon as Naruto stepped away from him, Sasuke turned his key in the lock and pushed open the front door. His brother was waiting for them in the foyer, an uncharacteristically uncertain expression on his face, "Sasuke. Naruto. Welcome back."

"We're back." Naruto said, grinning, "So, where is he?"

"Getting straight to the point." A deep, slightly guttural voice said from behind the older Uchiha. Sasuke and Naruto looked to the speaker just as he stepped out from behind Itachi. He was a gorgeous man with long, golden hair that fell straight to his mid-back, with part of it pulled back in a high half-ponytail. His blue eyes were larger than Naruto's and a slightly more icy shade as opposed to the Namikaze's ocean blue. His lean, tall and clearly well-maintained body was outfitted in a white formal shirt and black pants, though the first few buttons of the shirt had been left undone and its sleeves rolled up to the elbows to give the man a smart-casual look. He smiled at Naruto before meeting Sasuke's gaze, "It's nice to finally meet you, Sasuke. Itachi talks about you a lot."

"Unfortunately I can't say the same." Sasuke said stiffly before suddenly crying out in pain, "Usuratonkachi! What the hell?!"

"Don't take what he says personally. He's a bastard to everyone." Naruto explained brightly, removing his foot from Sasuke's, "I'm Naruto, and you obviously know Sasuke."

The boyfriend's eyes lit with amusement as he grinned, "I'm Deidara, and it's not only Sasuke that Itachi talks about. Over the last month I've heard a lot about you as well, Naruto."

"Really?" Naruto looked to the older Uchiha, eyes narrowed, "You only told him nice things right?"

"If he only told him nice things about you, their conversation wouldn't have lasted very long." Sasuke said snidely, glaring at his boyfriend.

Naruto gave him a shameless smile as he leaned over and patted Sasuke's cheek condescendingly, "I would be more upset over that if I didn't already know you like the not-so-nice part of me."

Sasuke's hand covered Naruto's face and he shoved him away, "I don't like you at all." He mumbled, his eyes moving to meet Deidara's gaze, "I didn't mean any offence; it was only the truth. I know less about you than I would like."

"I know." Deidara said, smiling slightly, "Itachi was always upfront regarding the fact that he wanted to take his time to be sure of our relationship before he introduced me to you. He is very protective about you."

Sasuke scowled, his gaze shifting to his brother's, "I'm no longer a child." His tone dared Itachi to correct him.

The older Uchiha smiled, some of the tension in his stance melting away as he reached out and poked Sasuke on the forehead, "Old habits die hard." He said softly, "I'm sorry I kept this from you."

A slightly wounded expression crossed Sasuke's face for half a second before he turned away, grabbing Naruto's schoolbag along with his own, "Hn." He walked away, making his way up the stairs to his room to drop off their things.

Naruto watched him go with a slight frown and made to follow, but Itachi placed a hand on his shoulder to stall him, "I'll go."

"Actually, let me go." Both Naruto and Itachi turned to Deidara's their expressions giving away what exactly they thought of the blond's suggestion. Deidara chuckled, "No, really. I'll go talk to him. Wasn't this whole thing about the two of us getting to know each other anyway?"

"Um, no offence, Deidara, but Sasuke isn't the easiest person to deal with when he's in a good mood. Right now, for anyone besides Itachi and me, dealing with him would be impossible." Naruto said bluntly, shaking his head.

Deidara seemed to consider his words before he finally spoke, "Sometimes all you need is to see a situation from a different perspective in order to make sense of it. Itachi and you know Sasuke well, that's true, but you aren't going to be able to offer him a different perspective when both of your perspectives are so clouded by your feelings for him." He chuckled at the dumbfounded look on Naruto's face, "I'm an artist; perspectives are my thing. Trust me." The last two words were directed at Itachi along with a warm smile.

The older Uchiha nodded slowly, "We'll start making our way to the house. You will follow when you're done."

Deidara chuckled, pausing on his way to the stairs to press a kiss to Itachi's lips, "Always so bossy." He murmured blue eyes meeting and holding that dark, intense gaze before he stepped back and continued on his way. Naruto let out a low whistle, waiting until Deidara was out of earshot to say conversationally, "So do all Uchihas have a preference for blond hair and blue eyes or is it just you two?"

Itachi looked speechless for once in his life and Naruto laughed gleefully.

Deidara turned his head slightly at the sound of laughter and smiled. Naruto was an interesting character from what Deidara had seen so far. He remembered being jealous of the other blond when Itachi had first begun to talk about him. The Uchiha had described the boy as warm and bright, not usually the first adjectives used to describe a person, but Deidara had to admit that they best suited the blond he'd just met. He'd known exactly what to say and do in order to put everyone in the room at ease downstairs, and he seemed to bring a kind of light into the Uchihas' fairly dark and oppressive home.

"There was no need to come after me." The smooth, controlled voice spoke from the room, reacting to the sound of footsteps, "I just wanted to drop off the stuff and we'll go."

"The other two have gone on ahead." Deidara said, leaning his side against the open doorway, "I thought the two of us should talk."

Dark eyes, so like Itachi's, watched him warily, "I'm not fond of talking."

"Just like your brother then." Deidara said with a wide smile, "The first time I met him, I swear his glare could have cut me, that's how sharp it was."

Despite himself, Sasuke was interested and Deidara could tell. He moved into the room and sat down on the swivelling computer chair by the study desk on one side of the room, "Since you were beginning your final year at school, Itachi had thought it would be nice to have your office at Uchiha Corp. set up so that if you decided to work once you were done, it would be ready for you." Deidara began, noting the surprise that flickered across the Uchiha's otherwise impassive expression, "He, or rather the company, hired me to design the space and outfit it with the right furniture. I like to get my hands dirty when I work, something your brother wasn't expecting I guess, and the first time I met him, I was in the process of painting your walls. Itachi startled me and I ended up getting paint all over his expensive suit."

Sasuke snorted, "Itachi loves his suits."

"He does." Deidara agreed, chuckling, "He was so silent and pissed off, I thought I was definitely going to get fired. And I kind of did. He thought I was a worker, not the actual person he hired, and he told me he was going to talk to my boss about the sloppy mess I had made and how it was unacceptable. Of course that's when his EA informed him I _was_ the boss; the look of sheer astonishment on his face, I'll never forget. It was the first time his mask had cracked in front of me and I thought he looked beautiful."

"Uchiha men are not beautiful." Sasuke grumbled, but without heat. "That's how you started dating."

Deidara shook his head, "No, that's how I became infatuated. It took over a month of me pestering him, whenever I dropped by the office to work, before Itachi finally gave in and agreed to a date. I'd like to think that by then he was a little bit infatuated too, but that might be wishful thinking on my part. Itachi laid down the law on our first date that we weren't going to be too public about our new relationship and that you were going to be kept in the dark."

Sasuke's jaw tightened, but his dark gaze was curious as he met Deidara's icy blue one, "Why did you agree to that? You don't seem like the kind of person who'd be happy to be hidden."

Deidara let out a dry chuckle, "My options were to either agree or give up on Itachi. You are, and will always be, his most important person, and I had to make my peace with that. Forcing any kind of ultimatum was never going to work in my favour. I wanted your brother, and I was willing to take what I could get. So I agreed, and we started dating." The bitter expression faded to one of genuine happiness, "I can say with confidence that as we dated Itachi did come to like me, though I still don't know how much. I suspect it isn't quite as much as I like him, but like I said, I was willing to take what I could get. That was around the time Naruto showed up. Suddenly the excuse that you might not accept our relationship because I was a guy was no longer valid, and our relationship had got to the point where I was getting tired of sneaking around."

"So what did you do?" Sasuke asked quietly, sitting down on his bed as he spoke.

"I blew up." Deidara said with a shrug, "I'm not the kind of person who usually shuts up when things bother me, but I had shut up about the secrecy for quite a while. When Naruto showed up, I'll admit I was a bit scared. Your brother was clearly fond of him, and you obviously liked him, it would have been simple for him to simply give me up and choose someone you would definitely approve of. A few weeks ago, Itachi came home for dinner with the strangest look on his face and when I asked him about it he said he thought he loved Naruto."

Sasuke frowned, "Itachi loves Naruto like a brother. There's nothing else going on between them."

"I know that now." Deidara agreed, "But at that moment all I heard was my boyfriend saying the words I longed to hear, about someone else."

Sasuke studied the blond's drawn expression, "You love him."

Deidara chuckled, "A lot." He confirmed, sighing slightly, "I was heartbroken and pissed off, a dangerous combination on anyone, and I did what I swore I wouldn't. I gave Itachi an ultimatum — either he tells you about me, or we were through."

"And he agreed to tell me." Sasuke concluded.

Pain filled blue eyes, "No. He walked out on me."

Black eyes snapped up in surprise, "What?"

"I told you, you are always going to be Itachi's most important person. You were obviously going through a lot, figuring out the new dynamics of your relationship with Naruto and getting ready to deal with the truth of what happened to your family, Itachi didn't want to add to the turmoil you felt. So he left me." Deidara said quietly, eyes downcast.

The sheer hurt in the other man's voice made Sasuke feel incredibly guilty. He knew his brother loved him, but to go so far? To deny himself happiness merely because the timing would have been inconvenient for Sasuke? He ran his hands through his hair in angry frustration; he wanted to punch Itachi, something he'd never wanted to do before. His brother clearly deserved it though.

"I don't get it. Clearly you're here now, so Itachi must have changed his mind. Did he realise his mistake and apologise to you? What happened?"

"Well, you're somewhat right. He did apologise; yesterday."

Sasuke froze, "What? You said you had that conversation with him weeks ago though."

Deidara gave him a wry smile, "I did." He agreed, "After he walked out, I didn't hear from Itachi at all. I eventually calmed down enough to regret my rash actions, but I have my pride. I'd begged him to choose me and he'd left, I wasn't going to chase after him anymore. I had just about begun to accept that Itachi was well and truly gone from my life when he showed up at my door yesterday."

"Yesterday." Sasuke breathed, the implications of the word stunning him. He really wanted to hit Itachi now. "Why the hell would you take him back?"

Deidara shrugged helplessly, finally raising his head to show Sasuke his tear-stained face, blue eyes filled with pain, hurt and under all of that, the same warmth Sasuke saw in Naruto's gaze, "I already told you, didn't I? I love him. I'm always going to be willing to take what I can get where he's concerned and I kind of hate myself for it, but it's true." He took a steadying breath, wiping the tears from his face roughly, "Anyway, I didn't come up here to tell you all this. What I wanted to tell you was that Itachi loves you more than anyone, and something I understood yesterday, when Itachi explained everything to me, was that some part of him blames himself for not being strong enough to save your innocence all those years ago. He compensates for that by doing everything he can to shelter you from more pain now, even if it comes at the cost of his own happiness." Deidara gave Sasuke a sad smile, "He's a bit of an emotionally stunted idiot, but he truly didn't keep this from you to hurt you."

"Why are you doing this?" Sasuke wondered, shaking his head in confusion, "Why don't you hate me?"

Deidara laughed at that, his face lighting up, "What good would hating you do? You're important to Itachi, and Itachi is important to me. I wanted to do my part to keep this from affecting your relationship. All this has caused more than enough pain already in my opinion."

Sasuke nodded, before standing and making his way out of the room purposefully. Deidara watched him go with some alarm before getting up and scampering after him, "Hey! Where are you going?"

"To punch Itachi." Was the firm reply, and it made Deidara stumble, "What?!"

"Oh, he deserves it for being such an over-protective, condescending bastard." Sasuke said with a low growl of irritation as he stalked out of his house, leaving Deidara to close it behind him. He paused only when he realised the blond was no longer following. He glanced over his shoulder to find him leaning against Itachi's car, smiling slightly, "Aren't you coming?"

"Nah. Tell Naruto I'm sorry for skipping out on the party." Deidara said, grinning good-naturedly.

Sasuke frowned, a little concerned for his brother's sake, "Are you changing your mind about my brother? Because I won't let you."

Deidara raised a single brow at that, before laughing lightly, "I guess that means you must like me, huh? That's good to know." His smile faded as he met Sasuke's gaze, "I won't change my mind. I just need an evening to regroup. Talking about all of that wasn't exactly a walk in the park for me. Tell Itachi I'll call him tomorrow."

Sasuke's frown deepened but he nodded his acquiescence, "How will you get back home?"

"I'll walk. I don't live too far." With that, the blond waved before turning and strolling away.

* * *

 **Itachi definitely deserves what's coming :) I absolutely LOVE Deidara's character but I realised while I was writing that it's extremely hard to keep him 100% as he was in the anime - so I'll admit I've changed his personality a bit. I loved that scene in the anime when Deidara looks at Itachi and thinks his art is beautiful.**

 **Leave a review guys! I would really like to know what you think.**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

Sasuke made it to the house in five minutes, and as he walked up the long driveway past the wrought-iron gates, he could make out Itachi's form approaching. When his brother was close enough, he called out in a slightly concerned voice, "I was just coming to get you. Where's Deidara?"

"He went home." Sasuke said coolly before letting his right arm swing and punching his brother square in the jaw. Not expecting the hit, its force threw Itachi off his feet and onto his butt, and Sasuke swore at the way his hand throbbed from the unfamiliar action.

"Sasuke!" Naruto sounded horrified as he made his way to them, crouching down beside Itachi, "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Shut up. You'd punch him too if you knew what all he'd done." Sasuke said stiffly, ignoring his blond entirely to focus his gaze on Itachi's suddenly resigned expression.

"What did Deidara tell you?" The older Uchiha asked quietly.

"You don't get to talk right now." Sasuke told him sharply, "I'm talking, and you're going to fucking listen. Do you understand?"

By this time, Minato, Kushina and Kakashi had reached them as well, but they chose not to interfere, watching the two brothers settle their problems in their own way.

Itachi nodded numbly, unused to seeing his brother's anger directed at him in this way and quite certain that he didn't like it. He was also oddly a little proud; Sasuke had the Uchiha glare and superior tone of voice mastered to an art.

"Where the fuck do you get off deciding that my happiness…that my future, is more important than yours?" Sasuke asked quietly, a dangerous edge to his voice, "Who the fuck do you think you are to decide how much I can or can't handle? How could you think, for even a minute let alone a few fucking weeks, that I could be happy while you gave up something you love?"

Naruto's eyes widened at his boyfriend's words and he looked to Itachi, seeing the miserable expression on the older Uchiha's face as he cast his eyes to the floor, not wanting to meet Sasuke's furious gaze.

"I don't think I realised before today just how fucking selfish you are, Itachi." Sasuke said coldly, before turning his gaze to Kakashi, "And you. If you knew what the hell was going on, how could you let it happen the way it did?"

Kakashi sighed, looking to Itachi before meeting Sasuke's gaze once more, "You know better than to think Itachi would listen to reason over something that concerned you."

Sasuke's expression grew even stormier as he stalked to where Itachi still sat on the ground, reaching out to grab his brother's shirt by the neck and pull him off the ground so their faces were level. Naruto let out a shout of protest, "Sasuke, enough! Whatever Itachi did, he doesn't deserve to be treated this way!" The Namikaze said, sounding incredibly pissed off.

"Doesn't he?" Sasuke asked, waiting until his brother's head raised so their gazes met, "I didn't have to talk to him for more than five minutes to know that he is your Naruto."

Naruto stiffened, looking from Sasuke to Itachi, some of his anger dissipating. The guilt in Itachi's face told him that perhaps Sasuke was more justified in his actions than Naruto knew.

"All that bullshit you fed me about not everyone knowing as soon as they found their soulmate, and you probably knew just like me. You knew, and somehow you still treated him like he was disposable. You…you let him believe you could live without him." Sasuke shook his head in disgust, "All your crimes against me pale in comparison to the huge wrong you did him. And the thing that pisses me off the most is that he was hurt because of your twisted need to shelter me." He shoved Itachi away, and though he stumbled, the older Uchiha quickly found his balance, "I'm not a child, Itachi. Not the way we both were when our family was killed. I can take care of myself. I'm not saying you need to lose all your protective older brother instincts, I'm just saying you need to stop putting me before yourself. Because just like how you find peace in seeing me happy, I find peace in seeing you happy as well." Sasuke ran his hands through his hair, "If I'd known about Deidara, I would never have let you leave him. You're lucky he actually took you back. He loves you."

"I know." Itachi said quietly.

"Then why the fuck haven't you told him the feeling is mutual?" Sasuke asked gruffly, surprising not only Itachi but everyone else gathered nearby as well.

Itachi looked strangely lost, "I…" His gaze moved past Sasuke searchingly, "Why did he leave?"

For a moment, Sasuke couldn't make out the emotion on Itachi's face because he'd never seen it before; not while they hid as their parents were being killed, not even when Itachi promised him everything would be okay at the funeral. Fear. Itachi was scared. All the anger rushed out of Sasuke in a single moment, "He said he needed to regroup, but he promised he wasn't going to change his mind about you."

Itachi swallowed, nodding silently, looking at his feet as he fought the wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Don't fucking make me punch you again." Sasuke said, drawing his brother's surprised gaze, "Even I know it isn't a good idea to let him be alone right now. Go after him." He scowled, "Seriously, who's the older brother here, anyway?"

Itachi let out a short laugh at that, but shook his head, "I don't deserve to be the one comforting him when I was the one who caused the hurt."

"I don't know the full story, but if Deidara is anything like me, the only one who's really going to be able to make him feel better is you, Itachi." Naruto said softly, placing a hand on the older Uchiha's shoulder and squeezing, "Sasuke's right, you should go after him. We'll settle things here. You like the house right?"

"I love it." Itachi confirmed, hesitating for a moment before saying softly, "But could you hold off on making a bid till tomorrow? I'd like for Deidara to see the place."

Naruto looked to Minato who nodded, smiling, "Given the price, there aren't a lot of people tripping over themselves to make a bid. Tomorrow should be fine."

Naruto waited until Itachi had walked out of hearing range and the other adults had meandered back to the house before launching himself at Sasuke, kissing him hard, "That was a nice thing you did just then, bastard." He murmured against the Uchiha's lips, his blue eyes bright with affection and warmth.

"He's a colossal idiot, but he's my brother." Sasuke mumbled, his cheeks heating.

Naruto chuckled, "You like Deidara, huh?"

"Hn."

The blond didn't need his special grunt-deciphering skills to know that yes, Sasuke did like Deidara quite a bit.

* * *

Deidara hummed to himself as he got dinner started, deciding to keep it simple with some pasta and salad. He was in the process of taking out vegetables for the sauce when the doorbell rang. Glancing toward the sound with a slight frown, he turned to turn off the heat on the water for the pasta and closed the fridge before making his way to the front door.

His sister, Kurotsuchi, had a dance class to teach that evening, and Gramps had bridge night with his friends so it couldn't be either of them on the other side of the door. Sasori had called earlier to check in with him, as he'd been doing daily for the past few weeks, and he'd mentioned a dinner date with his wife so it couldn't be him either. Curious now, Deidara opened the door, his eyes widening with surprise at the sight of Itachi standing on his doorstep. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu as he recalled a similar scene from the previous night. Shaking away the memory, he smiled at his boyfriend, "Itachi, hi! What are you doi—hmmnh!" He found himself being pushed back into his living room with Itachi's lips pressed against his. His surprise quickly melted away as he wrapped his arms around the Uchiha's neck, hearing the front door shut with a bang before he found his back pushed up against it, Itachi's tongue easily licking its way into his mouth.

Moaning into the kiss, Deidara hooked a leg around Itachi's waist, pulling him closer so their erections lined up, pressing against one another. When he pulled back, it was to take in mouthfuls of air, and as he did, Itachi nibbled the line of his jaw before kissing down his neck, "I told you to follow, didn't I?"

"Fuck!" Deidara cried out as Itachi sucked hard on an incredibly sensitive part of his neck, "Is that what this is about?"

Itachi's face left his neck, drawing a low groan of protest from him. One of the Uchiha's hands moved down to squeeze Deidara's ass possessively, while the other went up to brush his long golden bangs from his face, before he leaned in to kiss him softly. Deidara froze up, watching Itachi with wary blue eyes, unused to such gentleness from his boyfriend. In fact, the last time Itachi had looked at him the way he was now, with that look in his eyes, it was just before he'd walked out on him. Deidara closed his eyes, waiting for the death toll of their relationship. There would be no coming back from this; not even he could forgive Itachi twice. He just wished he knew what had caused it this time. He thought he'd been doing the right thing in telling Sasuke what he had; perhaps Itachi didn't see it that way? Either way he resolved to think about it once Itachi was gone. If this was the last time he got to be held in the other man's arms, he bloody well wanted to savour it.

Itachi's words when they finally came were not what he'd been expecting.

"God, I'm so sorry."

Deidara opened his eyes, befuddled, "What?"

Pain and guilt were etched into every feature on the Uchiha's face, "I've been such an asshole, I've treated you so badly, and yet you still somehow found it in yourself to forgive me."

Deidara frowned slightly, "Sasuke really laid into you, huh? It's fine, Itachi. We talked about this yesterday, right? I understand your reasons, so no hard feelings." He smiled warmly at the Uchiha, intent on chasing away the shadows on the other man's face.

Itachi gave him an accusing look, "No hard feelings? Really? So what was going through your mind just now?"

Deidara's face flushed with colour, "Okay, maybe there are some hard feelings, but they'll pass. I just know now that I don't have what it takes to keep you from leaving; so I'm a little concerned about that. It won't affect our relationship though, I promise!"

Itachi rested his forehead against the blond's, sighing, "You make it so easy for me to take advantage of your love. Why?"

Deidara stiffened slightly at the mention of 'love' but he didn't deny it. What would be the point, really? He averted his gaze, "I'll do whatever I need to if it means I get to keep you for a bit longer." He grimaced slightly, "That makes me sound pretty pathetic though, doesn't it?"

Itachi moved both his hands so they held Deidara's between their bodies, lifting the blond's hands up to kiss them lightly, "I will never be able to truly make up for all the hurt I've caused you, but the least I can do is put your mind at ease." Black eyes looked into blue, "The first day we met, I thought you were the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen, and I was baffled that someone so genuine, so affectionate would want anything to do with me. I told Naruto a few weeks ago that Sasuke had lost a lot of people precious to him and so he was afraid to make Naruto more precious because he wouldn't be able to stand losing him. I knew this because I was just like Sasuke." Itachi closed his eyes, a pained expression crossing his face, "Our whole relationship I tried keeping you at a distance and yet somehow you snuck past all my defences and made a home for yourself in my heart." He heard Deidara's indrawn breath, but he kept his eyes closed, "Walking away from you was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Sasuke told me earlier that I needed to stop putting his needs over my own, and I know he's right. I took a step in that direction when I came here last night, and I'm taking another one now."

He opened his eyes, looking into Deidara's bright, hopeful blue ones before smiling slightly, "I love you."

Deidara released a shaky breath, "I love you too. So much. I love you so much!" He jumped up, wrapping his arms tightly around Itachi's neck as he kissed him hard, tears streaming down his face; happy tears this time. As he showered the Uchiha's face with light, loving kisses, Itachi continued to speak, "I can't promise I'll be able to put you before Sasuke, but I need you to know you're just as important to me as he is. I-I won't make the stupid mistake of walking away again, so please, don't leave me either."

"Never." Deidara murmured, kissing away the small tears at the corner of Itachi's eyes, "You're stuck with me now, Uchiha. I don't plan on ever letting you go again."

Itachi chuckled, his own arms going around the blond as he kissed him lightly, murmuring against his lips, "Does that mean you'd consider moving in with me, Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi when we finally move into the new house?"

Deidara froze, eyes wide, "What?"

Itachi smiled, "I've asked Minato to hold off on making a bid because I want you to see the place before we said yes. I want you to move in with us. We'll have our own suite of rooms but the living space and kitchens will be shared between all of us. There's a forest out back and a huge lawn surrounding the house. One of the extra rooms can be turned into a studio for your work and—" Deidara's hand covered his mouth as the blond let out a delighted laugh.

"Shut up. Call Minato right now and ask him to make the bid. I love it already." He said, blue eyes dancing with love and laughter.

"I'm taking that as a yes." Itachi's voice was muffled behind the blond's hand.

Deidara let it fall away before replacing it with his lips, pressing up against the Uchiha, "Take it as a 'hell, yes'." He murmured, kissing Itachi again and again, deepening the kiss a bit each time until the two of them were grabbing at each other's clothes and stumbling towards the bedroom at the back of the apartment. As Itachi pushed Deidara onto the bed, moving to slide off his pants, the blond did the same, asking in a conversational tone, "Won't Naruto be mad that you're missing his party?"

"Considering the fact that he and my brother encouraged me to come here, I doubt they expect me to make it back." Itachi said, crawling onto the bed until he hovered over his blond, taking in the picture he made with his golden hair fanned out around him, tanned skin glistening slightly with sweat, blue eyes blown wide and focused on him, lips bruised. Itachi smirked, and the sight of that cocky smile had Deidara shuddering slightly beneath him as the Uchiha lowered his head to suck lightly on the mark he'd already left on the blond, "Hmm. I'm going to fuck you so hard today, you'll feel me in every step you take tomorrow."

Deidara moaned loudly, arching up into his lover's body, "Stop talking and just do it."

As if on cue, a cellphone began ringing from the floor of the room and both men turned to look in the direction of the sound. Deidara let out a frustrated growl but let Itachi go to sink back into the bed, "It's Sasuke's ringtone. Pick it up."

Itachi bit his bottom lip, looking from the phone to the naked blond beneath him and back to the phone before muttering, "Fuck it."

Before Deidara could blink, Itachi had his knees up over his shoulders and his fingers buried deep inside him, scissoring to stretch out the entrance. Deidara cursed loudly, letting out a keening noise as those long fingers struck that spot deep inside him, "Unh! Itachi! What about—fuck!—the phone?!"

"This is more important." He murmured, removing his fingers before sliding in, groaning as his boyfriend's body clenched around him. Deidara's hands cupped his face, making him look up to meet his gaze, "I _really_ love you."

Itachi chuckled, "I know."

He started moving, and the rest of the world ceased to exist for both of them.

* * *

 **I had to post these chapters together - it makes for a better reading experience. Next up in Naruto's party - I hope you enjoyed Itachi and Deidara's short story. They will remain important characters till the end of the story :)**

 **Leave a review!**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

Sasuke strolled out of his walk-in closet, easily snatching his phone away from where it was pressed against Kakashi's ear, "I thought I told you not to bother them."

Kakashi chuckled, "Since when do I listen to you? Anyway, he didn't answer."

"Good." Sasuke said, a hint of smug satisfaction in his voice. He stood before the full length mirror just outside his closet, fiddling with his tie to make sure it was just the right amount of loose. Kakashi took in his outfit, whistling lowly, "You want to kill the boy, don't you?" He mused.

Sasuke smirked into his reflection. He was dressed in a full-sleeved white formal shirt tucked into blue slacks but the sleeves of the shirt rolled up to his elbows and the loosely tied skinny blue tie gave the outfit just the right amount of casualness that it was acceptable attire for a party. His pale skin was emphasised by the white shirt and the dark blue pants hugged his thighs and butt in just the right way.

"I don't want to kill him." Sasuke said with a low chuckle, "But a mild heart attack would be nice."

Just then the doorbell rang and Kakashi shot out of the room before Sasuke had even turned away from the mirror. He arched a brow, watching his guardian leave, "What are you doing?"

"Getting in my dose of entertainment for the day. Come down only when I call you!" Kakashi instructed, making his way to the front door. He pulled it open to find Naruto standing there looking a bit nervous. Blue eyes blinked at him, and the blond frowned, "Kakashi? What are you doing here?"

"Well, since Itachi is otherwise occupied, I thought I'd fill in for him here." The older man said vaguely, "I see you've come empty-handed."

Nervousness returned as Naruto's eyes darted to his aforementioned empty hands, "Um, yeah. Why? Was I supposed to bring something?"

Kakashi sighed in a way that indicated that Naruto was an idiot, looking heavenward as he did, "It's accepted first-date etiquette to bring your date a gift, Naruto. Didn't you do your research?"

Naruto scowled at the grey-haired man, "You're just trying to rile me up. I'm not falling for it."

Kakashi shrugged, "Fine. Be a bad date. I'll bet Sasuke will regret suggesting this little experiment."

Naruto frowned, blue eyes lighting with concern, "Shut up, he's not going to regret anything!" He exclaimed, getting flustered, "What was I supposed to get him anyway?!"

"Flowers or chocolate are always a nice touch." Kakashi informed him, brown eyes filled with mischief and laughter.

Naruto's eye twitched before he shouted, "Are you mad?! The bastard would kill me if I showed up here with those things!"

"And the fact that he knows that is why the two of us are dating." Sasuke said dryly as he descended the staircase, black eyes narrowed at his guardian, "It's his birthday. Why don't you let him be?"

Kakashi laughed, "Where would be the fun in that?"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke focused his attention on his date for the evening. Naruto was dressed in a black formal shirt that had been left unbuttoned at the top showing a tantalising glimpse of tan skin, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, over rust-coloured skinny jeans that showed off his long legs and tight ass. The Uchiha took note of the way blue eyes were glazed over as they took him in and a satisfied smirk curved his lips. Letting out a low hum of appreciation, Sasuke approached his boyfriend, "You clean up well, usuratonkachi."

Naruto took in the way the formal shirt stretched slightly against Sasuke's muscled chest, and how the dark blue pants cupped that perfect ass, and he lost all ability to form a coherent sentence. "I-I…Y-You…Yeah."

Sasuke chuckled, holding out a small box for the blond, "Happy birthday."

Naruto dragged his eyes away from the Uchiha to look down at the box, his curiosity getting the better of him. He reached out to take it, lifting the lid to see what looked to be a leather thong necklace with a pendant attached. He slowly drew out the thong, his eyes widening as he took in the pendant that hung from it, half the size of his thumb. The simple Japanese fan, red on top and white at the bottom was familiar to him because it adorned every piece of clothing worn by the Uchiha brothers, every item they owned (bags, car keys, wallets, phone cases to name a few) and was also etched into the top of their front door. It was the Uchiha family crest. Naruto's breath caught in his throat, and he couldn't bring himself to speak. Noticing this, Sasuke cleared his own throat, before reaching for the thong, "Let me." He murmured gruffly, vaguely aware of Kakashi making himself scarce in the background.

Blue eyes watched him as he tied the necklace around Naruto's neck, stepping close to the blond in order to do so. Once it was tied, he rested a palm over the pendant, his black eyes lifting to meet that intense blue gaze so filled with love and warmth that it nearly overwhelmed him, "Now everyone will know who you belong to." Sasuke murmured.

Naruto let out a shaky breath, moving his hand to rest over Sasuke's at his neck, squeezing the Uchiha's hand tightly as his eyes fell shut. "Fuck. If I kiss you now, we're not going to make it to the party."

Sasuke chuckled a little breathlessly, leaning forward to rest his forehead against the blond's briefly as he brushed a kiss to the corner of trembling lips, "I would count that as being stood up."

Naruto laughed, blue eyes shining, "We can't have that now, can we?" He seemed to steel himself before pressing forward to kiss Sasuke hard, teeth nipping at pale pink lips, "I fucking love you."

Sasuke froze up for a moment, before a rare, beautiful smile curved his lips. He nuzzled the skin under Naruto's ear, "Let's go, usuratonkachi. I'm ready to be shown off."

Chuckling, Naruto stepped back, curling one hand around one of Sasuke's, pulling the Uchiha out of his home, "Who's going to be showing who off?" He questioned, his free hand curling around his pendant meaningfully.

Sasuke's cheeks heated slightly, "Hn." was all he said as he allowed himself to be led out of the house and to Naruto's flashy orange Dodge Viper GT. He grimaced at the way it stood out, but got in without complaint. The horrible colour was the reason Sasuke usually drove everywhere; on principle he refused to be caught dead in such a vehicle. Naruto had been the one to ask him out though, and it was the blond's birthday to boot; Sasuke knew to pick his fights.

Once Naruto pulled out of his driveway, the Uchiha sent a quick text to Kiba and Shikamaru letting them know that they were on their way. The two of them made it to Hinata's house in a record five minutes thanks to the blond's daredevil driving, and Naruto smoothly parked on the curb outside the massive home. He glanced over at Sasuke once he'd stopped the car, "You're going to ditch me as soon as we're through that door, I know that, but stay close."

Sasuke smirked, "I will." He leaned over the gear box to kiss the blond, his lips lingering as he spoke, "Get all the socialising out of your system and come find me."

Naruto made a noise of assent at the back of his throat before curling his hand around the back of Sasuke's head to pull him into another, more thorough kiss.

When the front door swung open for the two boys there was a huge shout of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARUTO!" before the blond was surrounded by his friends. Sasuke snuck away unnoticed to the side where Shikamaru was waiting for him with a glass of Coke ready in his hand. Sasuke took the glass, sipping as he nodded to Ino, Sakura, Choji, Neji and Tenten. Lee, Hinata and Kiba were part of the mass of people talking and laughing with Naruto.

"Aren't you supposed to be with him?" Ino inquired, looking from Sasuke to Naruto.

Sasuke grimaced, "And be sandwiched by all those people? No, thank you. He'll find me when he's calmed down. What's there to do at this party?"

"Well, Kiba was able to sneak in some alcohol but we're going to bring that out only later on in the night. Hinata has organised a few tables of card games, there's a dance floor set up in the hall, a hot tub out back and a basketball court." Shikamaru informed him, knowing even as he spoke what would grab Sasuke's interest.

"A basketball court?" Sasuke's eyes lit up.

Neji snorted, "You're really not dressed for basketball, Uchiha."

Sasuke smirked, "I bet I can beat you inspite of what I'm wearing."

Lavender eyes narrowed, "You're on." Neji himself was dressed similar to Naruto in dark, fitting jeans and a formal shirt, his long hair pulled up in a high ponytail.

"Seeing as how neither dancing, nor playing cards, nor soaking in water holds interest for me, I'm in as well." Shikamaru said, smirking, not at all surprised with how his evening was panning out. Sasuke didn't usually bother with parties, but when he did show up he would gravitate towards the activities he was most familiar and comfortable with; at Shikamaru's party it had been Shogi, and at Kiba's it had been video games. It seemed that basketball was going to be the focus of this evening, at least until Naruto could pull himself away from his well-wishers.

Ino and Sakura exchanged exasperated looks, "Shika, are you seriously going along with this? It's Naruto's birthday party! Sasuke can't be outside running and sweating; it'll ruin his look!" Ino scolded, frowning.

Neji snickered, "Of course. Uchiha can't get messed up because his boyfriend might not like it." He brought the discussion to a conclusive end with his next words, "Run along and ask Naruto for permission. I'll wait."

Black eyes flashed as Sasuke uttered a low growl, "Shikamaru, you can play on Neji's team. He's going to need all the help he can get."

"It'll be two against one; those aren't fair odds." Shikamaru pointed out, only a little worried about the tension cording the Uchiha's muscles.

"Ino and Sakura are wearing skirts, so they're out. Either Choji or Tenten will play with me." Sasuke said shortly.

Choji and Tenten exchanged looks and Tenten stepped forward, "I'll play."

That was how Naruto found them nearly an hour later playing a furious game of basketball. As he approached, Sasuke's shoulder and Neji's shoulder clashed, and given the speed at which they were running, the hit caused Neji to fall back on his ass and Sasuke to tumble forward onto his knees. Blue eyes wide, he scanned the crowd surrounding the court before making his way to Ino, Sakura and Choji who were all watching the game with concerned looks on their faces.

Sakura's face flooded with relief as her green eyes spotted him, "Naruto! You're here!"

"Yeah." He said, flashing her a reassuring smile, "What's going on?" His eyes moved back to the court where Sasuke and Neji were now in the middle of a heated argument about who had made the foul and which team deserved a free throw.

"It was supposed to be a friendly match, but Neji said something and Sasuke got pissed off. Now they're taking the game too seriously, and this bunch is egging them on." Sakura said, gesturing helplessly to the teenagers surrounding the court cheering for either team.

Frowning, Naruto started to make his way onto the court, immediately drawing Shikamaru's and Tenten's relieved gazes. He moved to stand behind Sasuke, his arm curling around the Uchiha's waist as he tugged him back so his chest was pressed against a sweaty back. "Hey bastard, I've been looking for you." He said, careful to keep his voice light.

Neji smirked, "I told you to ask for permission before we started the match, Uchiha. Looks like you've annoyed Naruto; maybe he'll ground you."

Before Sasuke could launch himself at the Hyuuga, Naruto's grip tightened around him as blue eyes narrowed, "What the fuck are you on? I know humour is hard for you, Neji, but this isn't fucking funny. It's my party, and pissing my man off isn't a great birthday gift."

The brunet scowled but he also blushed, looking abashed. He turned away from the couple, "My apologies. I suppose I got a bit carried away." He said stiffly before walking away. Tenten and Lee broke away from the crowd to follow him along with Hinata.

One problem taken care of, Naruto turned his attention to the rigid body in his arms, "I thought I told you to stay close." He murmured teasingly, knowing that he was going to have to tread lightly.

"You found me easily enough, didn't you?" Sasuke snapped, anger still simmering inside him. How dare Hyuuga make him look like some kind of disobedient pet in front of all these people?!

Having expected the snappy tone, Naruto rolled his eyes, and instead of retorting, he buried his face into the pale neck and licked a strip up its side. He pulled his tongue back into his mouth, closing his eyes as if to savour the taste, "Mmm, salty." One of his hands moved up so his palm was pressed flat against Sasuke's stomach, pushing the Uchiha further back into him, his hard-on tucking itself neatly into the crease between Sasuke's butt-cheeks, making black eyes roll heavenward as a shuddering breath was released. "Did you know that the sweat has made your shirt transparent?" Naruto asked softly, his lips at Sasuke's ear, "Everyone can see parts of you that only belong to _me_."

Sasuke turned his head slightly so black eyes met blue, dazed and filled with lust. Naruto moved his free hand up to cup Sasuke's jaw, angling his head just right so he could kiss him roughly, "Come dance with me."

"Let's just go home." Sasuke murmured into the kiss, pressing his ass back into Naruto's erection, drawing an approving growl from the blond.

"Our date is just getting started. We aren't going anywhere yet." Naruto said firmly, stepping back but keeping his arm around Sasuke's waist, "Dance with me."

Both boys disregarded the stunned eyes watching them as they made their way to the dance floor. A majority of the invitees had already figured it out; between Naruto's announcement in class, the kiss that morning and the Uchiha family crest Naruto now wore around his neck, the boys weren't exactly being subtle. Anyone who had managed to somehow miss all the signs though, definitely understood what was going on now. Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Namikaze were a couple; and from the looks of it, they were extremely happy together.

Sasuke remained compliant until they reached the hall, but when Naruto tried to actually pull him on to the dance floor, he resisted. The blond frowned, "Come on! Just for a little while."

The cloud of lust had cleared from the Uchiha's mind and he scowled now, "I've never danced in my life." His tone suggested that he never wanted to either.

Naruto grinned, stepping closer so both his arms were wrapped around the Uchiha, "It's easy. Like sex; except with clothes on and in public."

Sasuke gave him a dry look, "I'm pretty sure that's _not_ the right way to dance, usuratonkachi."

"Well, it's the way we're going to dance." He walked them backward onto the dance floor as he spoke before closing the distance between them to nuzzle his boyfriend's cheek, "My date, my rules, right?"

Sasuke smirked, "Is that how it works? Well, then I guess I don't have a choice." He shifted so his lips were at Naruto's ear, drawing a lobe into his mouth to nibble on before speaking again in a husky voice, "It gives me all kinds of ideas for when it's my turn though."

Naruto shuddered, pressing closer as their bodies began to slowly move with the beat, "Your turn. Does that mean you'll ask me out next time?"

"I'll ask you on a date." Sasuke corrected, moving his lips down the column of Naruto's throat, "I don't think we'll be going 'out' at all."

Groaning slightly at the implication of the words, Naruto shifted his head to allow Sasuke to kiss and nip his way down to where the Uchiha crest pendant rested. A rush of smug satisfaction rushed through Sasuke at the thought that everyone Naruto had gone around making small-talk with had seen the symbol resting against his chest; it sent a silent message that no matter who the blond counted as a close friend, his heart belonged to an Uchiha. He slowly turned Naruto in his arms so his front was pressed up against the blond's back, grinding his hips slowly against Naruto's ass.

Naruto let out a soft moan as he let his head fall back onto Sasuke's shoulder, one of his arms going back to curl behind the Uchiha's neck to bring his head down to the tan neck. Obliging to the silent invitation, Sasuke began kissing the blond's neck, pausing in particularly sensitive spots to suck hard, making Naruto let out breathy sighs and whimpers as he pressed back into Sasuke's body more firmly. The Uchiha's hands didn't remain still, moving down the planes of Naruto's chest before one slipped under his shirt to rest against his abs while the other moved further down to palm the blond's cock. Naruto let out a strangled groan, arching into the touch even as he complained, "Fuck, bastard." He breathed, "I know I said it was like sex with clothes on, but you can't fucking touch me like that here."

Sasuke smirked into the blond's skin, squeezing the hard-on through denim, "I can touch you wherever I want, whenever I want. You're _mine_."

Naruto felt a rush of anger at those words, his lusty haze clearing so he could glare at his boyfriend, but when he saw Sasuke's glazed-over expression, the blond couldn't help but chuckle lowly. He leaned in to kiss his Uchiha lingeringly, "Always. That doesn't mean I'm okay with being groped in public though." He said, grinning as he turned so his hard-on pushed up against Sasuke's, making the Uchiha hiss softly at the sudden contact. "However, _this_ ," He ground harder against Sasuke's erection, making his boyfriend wrap his arms around him tighter in his surprise and pleasure at the action, "this is okay."

Naruto pulled Sasuke down into another messy kiss, and the two boys found a rhythm that soon had them forgetting where they were and who was watching them. Their hands roamed to grip on hair, nails digging into backs, palms cupping butts to squeeze possessively. When the music slowly shifted from dance to something slower, the two of them stumbled off the make-shift dance floor. Naruto had been to Hinata's house a few times before with Kiba, so he knew exactly where to guide them, and Sasuke let him lead, preoccupied with kissing as much exposed skin as he could. Naruto pressed Sasuke back against the laundry room door, kissing him roughly as he fumbled for the door knob. When he found it and twisted it open, the two of them fell into the room which was, fortunately, empty.

Using the weight of Sasuke's body to shut the door, Naruto had just enough time to turn the lock before the Uchiha had his shirt off him, pale hands reaching desperately for his jeans next. The blond fought for some semblance of sense as he stilled Sasuke's movements by grabbing hold of his wrists. Blue eyes met black as he asked softly, "How far is this going exactly?"

Part of the haze lifted for Sasuke and he smirked, "I've made it clear that you're mine." He said in a husky voice, his eyes shifting meaningfully to the pendant resting on Naruto's chest, "What are you going to do to show me I'm yours?" Black eyes glinted with the challenge issued.

Naruto's eyes darkened with desire as he leaned down to bite Sasuke's bottom lip roughly, making the Uchiha growl as he broke skin, "I'm not fucking you in Hinata's laundry room."

"Why?" Sasuke asked tauntingly, "Do you want a bed with fucking rose petals? We can do that when I fuck you. I want you here, now, like this." He pushed closer so their erections lined up to press against one another, "I know you want me too."

"Fuck, Sasuke." Naruto breathed, lowering his forehead to rest on the Uchiha's shoulder as he fought to restrain the urge to push away the remaining clothes and fuck his boyfriend like he was being asked to. "We don't even have any lube, bastard. I don't want to hurt you."

Black eyes fell to half-mast as one of Sasuke's hands broke free from Naruto's now-loose grip, reaching for something he had in his back pocket. Naruto's eyes widened as he recognised the small logo on the sachet Sasuke presented to him along with an unopened condom, "You _planned_ this?" He asked, astonished.

Sasuke's lips quirked in an amused smile, "I've never been one for waiting once I'm ready to do something, usuratonkachi." His smile faded as he held Naruto's gaze, black eyes serious, "Now stop stalling, and fuck me."

With a low growl, Naruto surged forward his lips crashing against Sasuke's as his hands grabbed both of the Uchiha's wrists, pressing them back on the door on either side of his head. Hips ground together before Naruto slipped one leg between Sasuke's legs, allowing his boyfriend to grind slowly against his thigh as he kissed him thoroughly, his tongue mapping out every inch of the Uchiha's mouth. Sasuke struggled against the grip on his wrists, bucking to try and throw Naruto's weight off him; he wanted to touch, feel, taste, but Naruto was having none of it. The blond pushed his boyfriend further into the door, until their bodies were touching from knee to head. He let his lips leave Sasuke's to travel down his throat, pausing to suck on his Adam's apple, making Sasuke groan in frustration. "You wanted me to fuck you, right?"

"Fuck, not tease, usuratonkachi!" Sasuke growled, struggling to get free once more.

Naruto chuckled lowly, biting down on the juncture of the Uchiha's neck and shoulder, drawing a mewl from his boyfriend, "I don't believe in rushing things. When I fuck you, you're going to be begging for it."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed into slits as he glared down at his blond, "We're at a party! _Your_ party! We don't have all the time in the world, idiot."

Blue eyes flashed, "Nothing short of the house burning down around us is going to get me to leave this room before I've fucked you properly, take my word on that." Naruto smirked, shifting both Sasuke's hands above his head and freeing one of his hands in the process, "I never go back on my word."

Sasuke didn't know whether he wanted to hit his blond idiot or kiss him, but when Naruto began undoing his shirt, he quickly lost all choice in the matter. Lips closed around his nipple and Sasuke let out a cry, frustrated that Naruto's grip on his wrists didn't let him cover his mouth to muffle his voice. The blond, however, looked pleased by this discovery, and he set about drawing as many embarrassing sounds from Sasuke as he could with his hand still restraining the Uchiha. When he finally let go, Sasuke was too dazed to do much more than curl his fingers into blond hair as Naruto licked his way down the Uchiha's pale but well-defined stomach. Tan hands deftly undid the pant buttons and slowly pulled down the zip, and when they did, it was Naruto's turn to let out a strangled noise.

Black eyes looked down at him knowingly as lips curved in a wicked smile, "Wet underwear can be incredibly annoying."

"So of course you don't wear underwear at all." Naruto said dryly, even as he pushed down Sasuke's pants, leaning in to nuzzle the pale skin at the Uchiha's hip before nibbling it lightly, fascinated by the way the skin immediately reddened. His eyes were drawn to the stiff, flushed pink erection that stood nestled in fine dark hair. Blue eyes darted up to meet black with a heated gaze, "I said I'd give you a proper one, right?"

Sasuke barely had a second to register the taunting question before he was swallowed whole. One hand flew up to his mouth, muffling his scream while the other wound itself tightly into Naruto's hair. Working his tongue around Sasuke's cock, Naruto relaxed his throat, bobbing his head a few times before pulling off just enough so only the head still remained in his mouth. His tongue teased the slit, making Sasuke's head bang back against the door as he let out a strangled curse. Tormenting Sasuke with his tongue, Naruto used the Uchiha's distraction to ease his already-quivering legs off the floor and over his shoulders so his boyfriend's entire weight was on him. His hands flipped open the cap of the tube of lubricant, and he coated three fingers with the substance before slowly easing one into Sasuke's relaxed body. It immediately tensed up as the Uchiha moaned loudly, his hand falling so he could look down at Naruto, black eyes dazed with pleasure and desire, "What the fuck are you doing, usuratonkachi?" He asked in a husky voice, his body arching up as Naruto's finger moved inside him. The sensation was strange, but not entirely unpleasant.

"Shut up and enjoy it, bastard." Naruto murmured, against Sasuke's cock, licking up the length before taking it into his mouth once more. A second finger joined the first, and Naruto began scissoring to stretch the opening; the tight, hot, velvety grip nearly driving him out of his mind. He curled his fingers in the way he'd read about and probed; his reward came in the form of Sasuke crying out his name in shocked ecstasy, his cum flooding Naruto's mouth, almost choking him. Swallowing down the liquid, Naruto pulled his head off still half-hard cock, his fingers, three now, continuing to twist and tap on that spot inside Sasuke. The Uchiha was trembling all over, his body writhing, unable to decide if it wanted to get closer to Naruto or away from the source of the overwhelming pleasure.

Carefully lowering Sasuke's legs off his shoulders, Naruto stood to kiss his boyfriend, his blue eyes raking over the flushed face of his usually stoic lover. His tongue thrust messily into partially parted lips and Sasuke groaned as he kissed back, his erection flaring back to life as Naruto massaged his prostate without pause.

"Who's the bastard now?" He growled angrily, pulling Naruto closer, his arms tightening around the blond's shoulders, "Get inside me, usuratonkachi."

Naruto let out a shaky laugh as he withdrew his fingers, turned Sasuke around and pushed him so he was bent over the washing machine. The blond leaned over him so his lips were at the Uchiha's ear, "I love you, bastard." The emotion welled up inside him and Naruto was struck by how true the words were. He'd never loved like this before, would never love like this again.

Sasuke turned his head to glare at the blond, "I'll believe it when you fucking listen to me."

Chuckling at the Uchiha's impatience, Naruto quickly slipped on the condom and coated himself with lube before tossing the tube away. He guided himself to Sasuke's entrance and pressed in, making both of them groan as he slipped through easily. Sasuke held himself still, getting used to the sensation of being filled as Naruto slowly filled him until he felt as if he was going to burst out of his body. Naruto shifted behind him and the cock inside him brushed against that spot that made his world go white. He let out a strangled cry as he arched back, one hand slipping behind Naruto's neck, anchoring him to the blond, while the other gripped the edge of the machine under him. His cock, hot and hard, was trapped against the cool metal of the machine and the contrast only made him more sensitive to the sensations coursing through him.

Naruto began moving and the surrounding world quickly ceased to matter; the house could have burnt down, and Naruto would not even have noticed. His eyes were closed, and his world was centred on the boy under him, around him, in every breath he took and every beat of his heart. Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's neck, mouthing pale skin as he thrust in and out of his lover. Sasuke's head had fallen back on Naruto's shoulder, and his mouth was parted in a silent scream as his body pushed back into Naruto at every thrust. The two of them seamlessly found a rhythm and their bodies moved as if they had been doing this all their lives; as if this act was one already familiar to them rather than something new and daunting. With every thrust, Naruto's cock brushed against Sasuke's prostate and soon the Uchiha was whining, begging, pleading, his voice low but insistent, "So close —unh!—harder, deeper—ah! Fuck!—Please, Naruto! I-I need—ngh!—I-I don't kn—"

"Shh." Naruto breathed, his hand moving down to grip Sasuke's length. A few tugs had Sasuke's body tensing as he came, his cum shooting out onto the metal of the machine. The sight of it had Naruto groaning and spilling into the condom, burying his face in Sasuke's neck as he did. The only sound that filled the room for a few moments was that of their harsh breathing, but slowly the two of them became aware of the pulse of the low bass from the main hall and the chatter of loud voices, some of them too close for comfort. Naruto let out a helpless chuckle as he shifted his head enough to be able to press a kiss into Sasuke's neck, "I can't believe you got me to agree to this crazy idea."

Sasuke turned his head to show the blond his cocky smirk, "Are you saying you didn't enjoy that?"

Naruto arched a single brow, shifting in a way that had black eyes widening and a soft grunt leaving pink lips, as Sasuke was suddenly made aware of the fact that the blond was still very much inside him. "Oh, I definitely enjoyed myself." He said, smirking as he leaned in to kiss the Uchiha's lips, "This was a pretty perfect first time, bastard."

Sasuke snorted, "Get off me, usuratonkachi. We need to clean up in here so Hyuuga's maid doesn't get the shock of her life."

Naruto grimaced as he pulled out, taking off the condom and tying it off, throwing it in the dustbin beside the machine while Sasuke searched the shelves above until he found a roll of paper towels. He tore off a few sheets and stepped back to clean the metal surface, but he wasn't expecting the sudden shooting pain up his spine; he stumbled and would have fallen if Naruto hadn't caught him. He shot the blond a death glare just as Naruto opened his mouth to ask if he was okay, making him shut up and bite his lip as Sasuke found his balance and continued on with his task as if nothing had happened.

"If you laugh, you're not getting anywhere near my ass again." Sasuke said in a low voice, still turned away as he reached for his discarded pants and shirt.

Naruto fought back his mirth as he nodded, "Whatever you say, bastard."

The two of them were more or less dressed in the next ten minutes, except for the fact that Sasuke no longer had on his tie. He'd tried getting it on in the dark, without a mirror, but found it an impossible task, and neither of them wanted to turn on the light and draw others' attention to the room. As it was, there was next-to-no-chance their disappearance had gone unnoticed.

"Fuck it." Sasuke muttered, stuffing the material into the back pocket of his pants. He reached for the door knob, but before he could twist it open, Naruto's hand stilled his as the blond leaned in to kiss him. This kiss was different from the previous ones, lazy and indulgent, no trace of the urgency both of them had been feeling before. Naruto drew back just enough that their lips were no longer touching, blue eyes looking into black ones filled with a soft emotion that wasn't usually visible in their depths, "I know you said you weren't going to be the kind who said it often, but I've told you twice tonight." Blue eyes widened in what Naruto hoped was a beseeching look, "It would make a really awesome birthday gift."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "The necklace and my virginity weren't enough for you?"

Lips twitched as Naruto fought a smile, "They were both pretty amazing gifts, don't get me wrong, but they are kind of incomplete without this last bit."

Sasuke glared, before sighing and saying in affectionate exasperation, "I love you, you big idiot."

The smile that emerged after those words were said could have powered the sun and Sasuke stumbled as Naruto flung himself onto him, kissing him hard, "Best birthday ever." He swore when he pulled away.

Sasuke chuckled, shaking his head as he kissed his blond once more before disentangling from him to rejoin the world outside.

* * *

 **So that happened :)**

 **I'm so glad everyone loved Deidara's and Itachi's mini-story! I'm a 100% sure you guys would have enjoyed this chapter as well :D Leave a review! I love hearing from you guys!**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"The furniture needs to be replaced entirely." Deidara mused, looking around the spacious living room, "And I could totally do something with these walls."

"I'll be sure to make myself scarce when you do." Sasuke said dryly, "I'm not a fan of paint on my clothes."

Deidara laughed, "Just for that I'll make sure you get some paint on you."

Itachi had brought Deidara to the new house the weekend after Naruto's birthday to show him around with the Namikazes, Sasuke and Kakashi, partly because he'd wanted his partner to see where they would be living, and partly because he wanted the Namikazes and Naruto to meet Deidara properly. Deidara had also arranged for someone from his company to meet them at the house as it had been decided that he would take charge of the renovations; it made more sense than hiring a third-party.

Half an hour into the visit though, Itachi had been called away to an urgent meeting with Kakashi regarding something in Uchiha Corp. and had left Deidara in Sasuke's hands. This would have been fine if Naruto hadn't been so distracted the last time he went through the house that he was now exploring it like an overexcited child; Sasuke found he had his hands quite full with his usuratonkachi.

"Oh my god! Bastard! Did you see the size of our bathroom?!" Naruto's voice shouted from another part of the house.

Kushina, who was in the kitchen talking to an interior designer about renovations, heard her son and called back loudly, "It's just Sasuke's bathroom right now, Naruto! Don't forget that!"

"Sorry, Mom! Sasuke, get up here!"

Sasuke sighed in exasperation as he turned to make his way up his and Naruto's wing of the house. Deidara fell into step beside him, an amused glint in his eye, "So Naruto's parents really think you two are going to be sleeping in different rooms after you move in together?"

Sasuke shot him a glare, "Keep your voice down, idiot. And yes, they expect Kakashi to keep an eye on us for them."

"Kakashi?" Deidara asked disbelievingly, a single brow raised, "And he really agreed to take up that kind of responsibility?"

Sasuke's lips quirked, "It isn't so surprising when you consider Minato's persuasive skills. He isn't the Hokage's right hand for nothing."

Deidara seemed to consider that, "That goofy, carefree guy is actually pretty badass, huh? I guess I can buy that."

Both Minato and Kushina had welcomed Deidara into the fold like proud parents, embarrassing Itachi with their effusive appreciation of the fact that Itachi had someone he cared for and wished to share his life with. Naruto had found the whole thing hilarious, of course.

"SASU—oh, there you are." Naruto greeted, flashing Deidara a grin before reaching out to grab Sasuke's hand to pull him to the bathroom.

"Usuratonkachi, I already know the size of the bathroom. Unlike you, I was paying attention last time." Sasuke said, shaking his blond off once they were inside the spacious bathroom. A massive tub sat to one side and on the other side was a shower cubicle; between the two was a counter with two sinks. The toilet was in a closet within the bathroom, making it possible to use the facility without shutting off access to the rest of the bathroom.

Naruto frowned, "You could show some enthusiasm, bastard. I mean, this is _our_ room, _our_ bathroom. It's all pretty-fucking-exciting."

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes, "That's another thing. Do you _want_ your parents to change their mind about letting you live here? Stop calling everything 'ours'!" When the light in those bright blue eyes dimmed slightly he continued with a sniff, "At the very least, stop doing it where your parents can hear you."

Naruto chuckled, stepping closer to nuzzle his boyfriend's cheek, "Mmm, so I'll just call it 'ours' when we're alone?" His hands slid down Sasuke's back to cup his ass, using the hold to pull the Uchiha up against him, "You know, I've been thinking, next time we need to try fucking on a real bed."

Sasuke smirked, "Are you trying to get into my pants, usuratonkachi?"

Naruto grinned widely, "I've already been in them, bastard." He walked Sasuke backwards until his back was pressed against the wall and leaned in to kiss him, humming happily against pink lips as he pressed closer. Sasuke wrapped a hand around his blond's neck and angled his head so the kiss deepened, his other hand sliding down to squeeze one taut butt cheek, drawing a groan from Naruto.

"I hope the two of you remember that I'm standing right outside!" Deidara called in a sing-song voice, "I'm waiting to be shown the rest of the house."

Naruto let out a low growl of disappointment as he pulled away, burying his face in the crook of Sasuke's neck, taking in that intoxicating scent, "I hate Itachi." He grumbled. Since his party last weekend, the two of them hadn't been able to get more than a few minutes alone together. With mid-term tests around the corner, sleepovers were out of the question as well. Both Naruto's parents and Itachi lay down the law that the two were to remain in their own houses for the night until the tests were over; that wasn't for another two weeks!

Sasuke chuckled, "You've waited five days, usuratonkachi. A few hours aren't going to kill you." He brushed a kiss to Naruto's lips lowering his voice as he continued, "Once we're done here, we can go back to my house and make good use of my king-size bed."

Naruto made a whining noise at the back of his throat as he hardened painfully at the image Sasuke's words painted, "Fuck! I'm going to hold you to that, bastard."

Deidara chuckled as he watched the two boys exit the bathroom, both of them looking a bit ruffled, but where Naruto's ears were a bright red, Sasuke looked as stoic as ever. One's looks caught your attention while the other's warm personality drew you to him. Together, they made quite the pair. "How did you two get together anyway? You seem to be complete opposites."

Naruto's blush faded slightly as he laughed, falling into step beside the other blond as Sasuke led the way to Itachi's wing of the house. "Itachi calls us the sun and the moon; we both can exist without each other, but we're stronger together."

"Stop being sentimental, usuratonkachi. Deidara asked you a question." Sasuke said dryly, turning his head to shoot his blond a look.

Naruto chuckled, "I'm still not sure how we got together actually. I fell for Sasuke the minute I saw him. After a month of knowing him, I decided to make my feelings clear, and he apparently felt the same. I don't know when he began feeling that way for me, or how long he felt that way; we've never talked about it."

"That's because it doesn't matter." Sasuke said firmly, keeping his eyes on the long corridor.

Deidara smiled, "No, I don't suppose it does. You've been together for a few weeks now?"

"Almost a month." Naruto said with a wide grin, "Feels like we've known each other forever though."

"Dealing with a pain in the ass like you does slow down time." Sasuke agreed, humour evident in his voice.

Naruto felt a flash of indignation course through him before his lips curved in a slow smile, "Just for that, I'll make sure you know just how much of a _pain in the ass_ I can be today."

Deidara, clearly picking up on the innuendo, laughed outright, and Sasuke turned to shoot Naruto a narrow-eyed glare, though there was a slight dusting of pink on his pale cheeks that let the blond know that his boyfriend wasn't entirely averse to the idea he had suggested.

"There you are!" Minato's voice made Naruto's and Sasuke's eyes widen with horror as they exchanged a quick glance. Just how close had Minato been to them and how much of their conversation had he heard? "I'll need one of you to come with me to your wing and explain what renovations you want made to the interior person from Deidara's company. Kushina is just about done in the kitchen."

Sasuke shook off his embarrassment, relieved that Minato didn't seemed to have heard anything untoward, "I thought we were going to wait until they did a complete paint job inside and out before we started looking at doing renovations."

It was Deidara who responded to his unasked question, "It'll be easier for my team to work in renovations while painting because otherwise the renovations could ruin the new paint job. Things like new furniture can wait obviously, since we all need to plan a trip down to a good store anyway. Are there any small things you need added though? Like more outlets to charge things, new flooring, a specific kind of wallpaper or shade of paint?

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a contemplative look and after a moment, the Uchiha sighed and Naruto grinned widely, "I'll come with you, Dad. If I left it up to the bastard, our entire wing will be painted dark blue and white or something equally boring."

"No orange. Anywhere." Sasuke said firmly.

Minato chuckled while Naruto pouted, "Oh come on, it's a happy colour!"

"It's an obnoxious colour." Sasuke retorted, "You accept my condition or let me go with your dad."

Huffing out an exasperated breath Naruto dug his hands into his jeans pockets, "Fine, asshole. Have it your way. No orange." With that, he turned and stalked off back to their wing of the house.

Looking a bit smug, Sasuke met Minato's gaze, "You'll make sure he doesn't make our rooms look like a rainbow threw up on them?" He was fairly sure Minato would, but he needed the confirmation. He didn't entirely trust Naruto's judgement in this matter.

The Namikaze grinned reassuringly, "You have my word." He promised before following his son, leaving Sasuke and Deidara to continue on their way. It was only a few minutes before Sasuke came to a stop. It was a straight-shot from Sasuke's wing to Itachi's on the second floor, while Kakashi's was located on the floor below. On the ground floor were the two living rooms and kitchens on opposite sides of the house. The central area was an open space where the roof gave way to allow in the sun; a courtyard of types. Wild flowers bloomed there providing a spattering of colour and beauty that the inhabitants had decided they would leave untouched. The only changes they'd be making to the courtyard would be to tame the vegetation a bit to allow for some furniture.

"Each wing has three rooms." Sasuke explained, gesturing to the three doorways ahead of him, "One, of course, is the master bedroom, but it is up to you and Itachi what the other two will be used for."

Deidara strolled forward, entering a smaller room that looked out into the forest behind the house, smiling, "I think this will be my studio. The other one will probably just be a guest room." He glanced to Sasuke, "Three bedrooms in each wing leaves us with one spare room on Kakashi's floor. Have you all decided what to do with it?"

"Naruto wanted an arcade." Sasuke said dryly, his tone indicating exactly what he thought of that idea, "But he was vetoed. The other suggestions were an entertainment room of sorts, or a gym. Basically something all of us could make use of."

Deidara's brows rose in interest, "A normal gym or the kind you have back at Uchiha Corp.?"

Sasuke smirked, "Where's the fun in a normal gym?"

Deidara chuckled, "I suppose that's true." He stepped out of the room, heading for the master bedroom, "So," His suddenly innocent tone warned Sasuke that he might not like his next words, "You bottomed for Naruto."

Sasuke's face turned red even as his eyes narrowed, his voice sharp and clipped as he said, "It's none of your fucking business."

Deidara turned at that, raising a single brow, "Oh, I don't know about that. You're Itachi's little brother, and so in a weird way, you're kind of my little brother too, yeah?" He reached out to pinch Sasuke's cheeks mockingly, laughing as the Uchiha slapped his hand away looking murderous. "Come on, don't look at me like that. I'm not going to tell Itachi." Sasuke's stance relaxed minutely at that, "I am curious though."

The Uchiha eyed the blond warily, "Curious about what?"

Deidara smirked, "Well, I know from experience that Uchiha pride is nothing to scoff at. I'm wondering how it let you submit to Naruto before he did to you."

Sasuke turned a bit green as the implication of Deidara's words washed over him, "I really don't want to know about my brother's sex life."

"Duly noted." The blond's expression remained expectant as his eyes stayed on Sasuke's face.

Looking heavenward, knowing he wasn't getting out of this situation without giving the artist a response, Sasuke sighed, "I didn't want to hurt him."

"Yet you trusted him not to hurt you. Why?" Deidara asked, curiosity clear in his blue eyes.

Sasuke shot him a glare, "Why the fuck do you need to know? It's between the two of us."

Deidara held up his arms in surrender, "Hey, I know how awkward it is to talk about sex. Knowing Itachi as well as I do, and having met you now, I'm almost a hundred percent sure neither of you have broached the topic with each other. Gay sex can be fairly intimidating for the first time; I just want to make sure you didn't hand over the reins because you were scared."

Sasuke blinked at the explanation then frowned slightly, looking away. No, Itachi and he hadn't talked about sex, and he wanted it to stay that way. He eyed Deidara warily for a moment before sighing and giving in, "Naruto told me once that he watched a lot of gay porn after he realised he was interested in me."

"Which is something that you never did, of course." Deidara mused.

Sasuke snorted, "I'm interested in Naruto; only Naruto. I have no pressing need to watch strangers go at it." He ran a hand through his hair, "Still, the videos allowed Naruto to have a clearer idea of what to do and what to expect than me. I knew he'd be careful."

"And you'd learn from experience." The blond deduced, smiling, "A well thought-out plan, obviously. I should have expected that."

"Hn." Sasuke blushed slightly, averting his gaze.

Deidara chuckled, going back to looking around the room he'd be sharing with Itachi, his eyes quickly finding things he wanted to add or remove from the existing layout. He was so focused that when Sasuke spoke again, he nearly jumped.

"Thanks."

Deidara's eyes widened with surprise before a happy grin spread across his face, "No problem, little Uchiha." He reached out to ruffle Sasuke's hair in an affectionate way that the Uchiha would normally have not allowed, "If you need to talk, I'm here."

"Hn."

"Oh, and always use a condom, yeah?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Are you done behaving like my father now?"

"You little brat!" Deidara exclaimed, but there was no heat in his voice and Sasuke's lips tugged in a smile. Yes, he'd admit to himself now that he really did like his brother's boyfriend.

* * *

Sasuke threw his head back, drawing blood as he bit hard on his bottom lip to keep from crying out while Naruto's cock massaged his prostate as the blond rotated his hips, grinding more than thrusting into his dark-haired lover. Sweat was beginning to bead on Naruto's face from how long the two of them had been at it (nearly an hour now) and watching Sasuke's increasingly open, flushed expressions, he knew he wouldn't last for much longer.

"Y-You fucking s-sadist!" Sasuke groaned, pushing down, desperate for release. Naruto's slow, leisurely pace was driving him crazy and he was going to fucking murder the blond when they were done. His arms—pushed up to grip the bars of his headboard, wrists held in one of Naruto's tan hands so he couldn't touch himself or his blond—flexed as he lifted his hips up, struggling against his boyfriend's grip. Up until then he had allowed his blond to have his way, but Sasuke was sick of feeling unfulfilled. He knocked one hand free and moved it to curl around Naruto's ass, fingers brushing the blond's entrance, making him shudder and thrust harder than he'd been doing so far.

Sasuke let out a moan of satisfaction, his fingers moving over the entrance, pressing in teasingly, "Either you fuck me properly, usuratonkachi, or I will flip you over and fuck you." His tone was dark and dangerous as black eyes met blue, deadly serious. Naruto had been keeping him at the edge of an orgasm for more than half an hour now and he was completely sick of it.

The blond let out a shaky laugh, "Such a fucking bastard." He said affectionately, nuzzling Sasuke's throat. Before the Uchiha could respond though, he pulled nearly all the way out and slammed in. Startled by the sudden force of the thrust against his prostate, Sasuke cried out, one of his fingers accidentally slipping into the blond as he curled his fingers to ride out the now punishing pace his lover set. The slight burn of the intrusion was not lost on Naruto and he suddenly stilled. When Sasuke realised what he'd done and tried to pull out, the blond clenched around the appendage, "N-No, don't."

"I don't want to hurt you." Sasuke said, studying his boyfriend's face carefully.

"One finger isn't going to kill me, bastard." Naruto panted, his eyelids fluttering shut as Sasuke worked his finger in deeper, angling it in the way he'd felt Naruto do for him. It took a few minutes but he was rewarded with a hard thrust that had his back arching as Naruto struck his prostate while his finger massaged the blond's. Falling into a rhythm, the two of them nearly blacked out as their orgasms hit, more intense than anything they'd ever felt before.

Naruto winced as he rolled off Sasuke, dislodging the finger inside him even as he pulled out from the Uchiha's now-limp body. He pulled off the condom, tying it and throwing it in the trash before he lay on his back, trying to catch his breath. One of his hands found one of Sasuke's and he entangled their fingers, squeezing. The grip he received in return was less a squeeze and more a death-grip and it made him turn his head to look into annoyed black eyes.

"I would kill you if that wasn't the best fucking orgasm of my life." Sasuke said roughly, his body still trembling from after-shocks, "What is this fetish you seem to have about keeping my hands tied?"

Blue eyes darkened and the blond smirked as he turned to rest his chin on the pale chest that was now littered with hickies, "I haven't actually tied them yet, though the idea is appealing." He reached up to nibble on an earlobe, making his boyfriend groan underneath him, "Imagine all the sounds I can draw from you if I have both my hands free when you're in that state." He breathed hotly into Sasuke's ear, his tongue tracing the shell of the ear.

"Stop." Sasuke said, sounding just a bit breathless, his eyes shut.

Naruto chuckled, looking down to see that flushed pink cock beginning to stir once more. His hand ghosted over the half-hard appendage and Sasuke's hips arched up to press more fully into the touch, even as his hand wrapped around Naruto's wrist, "Itachi will be home soon, and your parents are expecting us for dinner. Don't start something we can't finish, usuratonkachi."

"Mmm." Naruto withdrew his hand, instead curling up against his boyfriend's pale, lean form, pressing his nose to his neck and inhaling his comforting scent, "Deidara said we'd probably be able to move in by early December."

"I know." Sasuke's lips curved in a small smile as he ran his fingers through soft blond hair, "I was there, idiot."

Not wasting energy getting annoyed, Naruto simply cuddled further, "I'm really excited." He murmured.

"Hn." Sasuke pressed a kiss to blond hair, knowing it would be enough of a response for his boyfriend. Silence settled between them, and Sasuke thought Naruto had fallen asleep until the blond spoke once more, "Why haven't you been to the Uchiha Corp. offices in all these years?"

Sasuke blinked, tugging on blond strands to shift Naruto's face up so he could look at his lover's expression. Blue eyes looked up at him, curious and calm all at once, and Sasuke sighed. Seeing as how he'd promised the blond a visit to the offices weeks ago, he had expected this at some point. He supposed Deidara's mentioning that he supported the Uchiha Corp. gym idea for the spare room sparked the line of thought.

The Uchiha frowned thoughtfully before saying, "You know that Itachi was being groomed to take over Uchiha Corp. from a really young age." He waited for Naruto's nod before continuing, "Growing up, I worshipped my elder brother." A sheepish smile tugged on pale pink lips, "I suppose it's a habit I never really grew out of."

A chuckle rumbled through Naruto's chest, and Sasuke could feel it against his heart as the blond shifted so he lay half on top of the Uchiha, their gazes holding as they spoke. "Father started taking Itachi to work with him when he was around six, and I started going with them as soon as I was old enough. Where Itachi was, I wanted to be; especially because I started noticing that the days he spent long hours at the office, he would come back more robotic than ever. While my mother initially protested that the office was no place for a child, she gave up when she realised how happy it made Itachi and me to be with each other all day."

Tan knuckles brushed along his jaw, "What would you do there?"

"You know what Uchiha Corp. does for the Land of Fire." Sasuke stated rather than asked, dark eyes fixed on Naruto's face.

"Supply elite military personnel, right? Dad told me a little about it. It's why…" Naruto dragged off, a dark look crossing his face.

Sasuke nodded, "It's why Danzou came after us. Aside from training military personnel, Uchihas are also trained in combat."

Naruto's eyes widened, "You are?!"

Sasuke raised a single brow, "In order to train and command soldiers, we need their respect. The only way to gain it is to be as good as, if not better, than the people we train. A majority of the instructors and trainers at Uchiha Corp. used to be Uchihas. My brother started his training when he was five, and that's the age I started too. We would spar against one another while we were there, or take on the obstacle courses together. Until I was old enough to join in on the training though, I'd watch Itachi and cheer him on." A fond smile of remembrance curved Sasuke's lips, "The office became a bit like a second home. Mother would bring us lunch there and she'd insist we eat together as a family. Some of my best childhood memories happened in that building." The smile faded and the Uchiha's face became impassive, his dark eyes clouded with memories he had fought not to recall for nearly ten years now.

"Hey. Bastard, look at me." Naruto's soft voice drew him back to the present, and he blinked, looking up at that tan face, soft smile curving pink lips as blue eyes watched him filled with that overwhelmingly warm emotion. "I think I understand now." He said, thumb brushing Sasuke's lower lip before moving up to caress his cheekbone.

Sasuke turned his head to lean into the touch, his eyes fluttering close as lips brushing lightly over his his jaw, cheeks, forehead, nose and finally his mouth. His toes curled as he gripped Naruto's shoulders tightly, holding the blond to him as he surrendered to his questing mouth. It was a few minutes before his blond drew back to rest his forehead against Sasuke's, "I won't force you to face it, Sasuke. I can wait until you're ready."

Sasuke let out a shaky breath, looking up at the ceiling, "I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be." He murmured, his fingers digging into broad, tan shoulders, "I-If you're there…"

"I'm always going to be there." Naruto murmured, bending down to kiss his dark-haired lover once more, understanding what he couldn't say. Naruto's presence would give Sasuke the strength to face his past.

Sasuke felt his chest tighten with heat and warmth and _love_ and he felt like his lungs were being gripped by an iron fist. Gasping for breath as his eyes burned, he curled his legs around his blond's waist, locking them at Naruto's back and pulling his boyfriend forward so his erection was pressed against Sasuke's. Dark eyes edged with desperation looked into tranquil blue ones, and Naruto understood what it was his boyfriend needed in that moment.

Sasuke cried out, his back arching up as Naruto drove into him without warning. There was no need for preparation since barely an hour had gone by since the blond had last been nestled inside his lover, and neither wanted the barrier of a condom between them. They were both each other's firsts, the risks, while not non-existent, were low, and both of them thought their experience would be worth it.

Naruto kissed Sasuke, hands curling tightly in dark hair as he snapped his hips forward repeatedly without pause, making sure to hit that spot inside his lover each time. Sasuke, for his part, raked blunt nails down his lover's back before digging them into tan hips, holding on for all he was worth as he was fucked into his bed.

Despite both of them having found release not long before, their climax came quickly and simultaneously, both of them drowning out each other's cries with a fierce kiss as they came. Sasuke whimpered at the heat that filled him, revelling in it even as Naruto continued to thrust, riding out his orgasm before falling on top of the Uchiha, boneless.

"Fuck." Naruto breathed after a few minutes of silence.

"Indeed." Sasuke mused, the smirk evident in his voice, "You realise we're going to have to go get tested now.

"I know." Naruto sighed, nuzzling his lover's pale chest, "I want to stay like this for the rest of the day."

As if on cue, a knock sounded on the door and Itachi's voice carried into the room, "We've decided to head out for dinner. You two need to get dressed and meet Deidara and I downstairs in ten minutes."

"I fucking hate Itachi." Naruto groaned, burying his face in Sasuke's neck, making his boyfriend chuckle.

"I heard that, Namikaze. Considering what you were just doing to my little brother, I'd be grateful I didn't interrupt earlier if I were you." Itachi's voice was mild, but Naruto could hear the threat in it, even if it was just for show. He hoped.

"We'll be down in five minutes." Sasuke assured his brother, and they heard Itachi's soft 'Hn' before he walked away.

Naruto pulled out of his lover carefully, and Sasuke grimaced at the sensation of wetness running down his thighs, "I need a shower."

Giving his boyfriend a quick kiss of apology, Naruto stood from the bed, quickly stripping it of its sheets, while Sasuke carefully made his way to the bathroom, "How does Itachi even know what we were doing anyway?" He mumbled, his ears red as he wondered how he was going to face his lover's elder brother.

"Well, if we rule out Deidara telling him, we can assume he heard us. The rooms aren't exactly soundproof, usuratonkachi." Sasuke said, stepping into the shower cubicle and turning on the spray, adjusting the temperature to hot before moving into it with a sigh.

Naruto dumped the sheets in the laundry basket and joined Sasuke, wrapping his arms around his pale lover's waist before lowering his head to kiss his neck. "That's a disturbing thought."

Sasuke turned his head to shoot the blond a dry look, "I told you he was going to be home soon."

Naruto's mouth dropped open, "Are you seriously blaming _me_ for this?! You're the one who started it the second time!"

A single dark brow rose, "So now we're playing 'who started it'?" He rolled his eyes, "You're so juvenile sometimes."

"And you love me." Naruto murmured against pale skin, "What does that say about you?"

Sasuke smiled one of his rare, genuine smiles, making Naruto's breath catch in his throat, "That I clearly have impeccable taste."

Naruto pressed a hard kiss to pink lips, "Let's hurry up and get downstairs because otherwise I'm going to want to fuck you again. And this time I think Itachi might really just walk in on us and kill me."

Sasuke laughed, but he didn't disagree with his boyfriend. After all, Itachi was still very much his overprotective older brother.

* * *

 **Have I told you guys how much I love your reviews? Because I do. I really thought there would be more for the last chapter given what happened.**

 **Come on! Leave a review and let me know what you think! It's what keeps me motivated to write.**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"Moving in together?!" Kiba's incredulous shout drew the attention of just about every single person in the cafeteria. Suddenly aware of that, he laughed nervously, not having to look at Sasuke and Naruto to know they were glaring at him, "Heh. Nothing to see here, people! Move along!"

He slunk back into his seat, hunched over and their table remained silent while slowly conversation picked up around them. When Sasuke was sure they were no longer the centre of attention, he reached across the table to hit Kiba on the upside of his head, "Idiot."

"It isn't my fault." Kiba whined, holding his head, "Who the hell announces something like this when they're in _high school_ and expects people to take it normally?"

"He has a point." Choji said, one hand inside a bag of potato chips, "Were you being serious?"

"It's not like the bastard and I are eloping or something. Basically, Itachi and Sasuke are moving into a new place. Kakashi and I are just going to be moving _with_ them." Naruto said, trying to placate his friends who were understandably shocked by their revelation.

"You're just saying the same thing in a different way." Neji said, looking almost amused, "Your words don't change the fact that Uchiha and you are going to be cohabiting in the near future. It's a serious step for a couple of teenagers."

"He's right." Tenten said, frowning, "I mean, you guys have only been dating for a month now. Are you really ready for something like this?"

"You don't want to rush into this and regret it later." Sakura said, her green eyes concerned as she looked from one boy to the other.

Sasuke could see how each negative thought voiced affected his blond despite his seemingly blank expression. Tan hands were curled into fists at his lap and his head hung, blue eyes fixed on the metal surface of the table.

"What's wrong with Naruto living with his parents for a few more months anyway?" Ino asked lightly, "I mean, it sounds like this place is just down the road; you guys can still see each other every day."

"I think their youthful display of commitment is both noble and brave!" Lee argued in the couple's defense.

"I mean, call me crazy, but Bushy Brows has a point." Kiba said, apparently over the shock now, "If any couple could survive living with each other so soon, it would be these two."

"It's not about surviving though!" Tenten said, shaking her head, "Why risk it when things are fine as they are?"

"Enough." Sasuke's sharp voice cut through the argument and drew all of his friends' gazes and Naruto's. Black eyes searched blue before a pale hand reached out to curl around the back of a tan neck, a thumb caressing the shell of an ear before moving down to affectionately tug on the lobe. Blue eyes lightened, and Sasuke sighed in relief, before turning a hard gaze on their friends, "We weren't asking for your opinion on our decision." He said coolly, "Our relationship progresses at a pace _we_ are comfortable with. We don't need ten people telling us when we should be feeling what, or what timeline our actions should follow."

Naruto laughed nervously, reaching out and squeezing Sasuke's hand so hard that the Uchiha winced, "What the bastard means is that you need to trust that we've thought through all the problems you guys brought up." His expression turned somber as he continued, "As much as you guys don't want us to break up, we want it even less."

"It isn't even an option." Sasuke cut in with a glare at his blond.

Naruto chuckled, "Right, of course not. I'm never leaving you alone, bastard, remember?"

"Hn."

Still grinning Naruto faced the others, "I know it's strange, and if I were you I'd probably have reacted the same way, but no one understands the bastard and me better than the two of us. We need this." He let out a shaky breath, and Sasuke's grip tightened on his hand, " _I_ need this."

Deciding he'd heard enough, Shikamaru finally spoke up, "You don't need to explain yourself to us, Naruto." Black eyes met brown, the slightest hint of gratefulness in them, and Shikamaru gave his friend a short nod, "As both of your friends, our duty is to support you, and that's what we're going to do."

Naruto's smile was positively radiant, "Thanks, Shikamaru."

"I know you, Naruto." Hinata said, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing comfortingly, "You're probably worrying yourself enough over this without all of us piling on you, but I really don't think there's any need for worry. Trust in your heart, and the person you gave it to. You both will be fine."

Naruto swallowed hard, his free hand going up to squeeze Hinata's on his shoulder, "Thanks, Hinata."

"Alright, alright! Enough with the mushy stuff!" Kiba declared, slamming his hands down on the table surface. "There are more important things we need to be talking about."

"Oh?" Sasuke raised a single brow, "Like what, Inuzuka?"

"Like, are we going to have a kissing booth at the Halloween Fair next week?" Kiba asked, grinning widely, looking around at his friends. Just like that the tension dissipated and everyone chuckled. The Halloween Fair was going to be the next fund-raising event for the student council, and the school was already buzzing with excitement about it.

"Even if we were, who would we ask to sit at the booth?" Naruto wondered, leaning against Sasuke as he spoke. The previous conversation had left him feeling unreasonably clingy, and since he knew he couldn't crawl into Sasuke's lap and make out with him in school without more than half the school watching them, he settled for simple body contact.

Ino seemed to consider his words for a moment before saying with a straight face, "We'd make a ridiculous amount of money if we got Sasuke to do it."

"What?!" Blue eyes widened before darkening with possessiveness, "No! The bastard is _mine_." Naruto growled angrily, "No one is going to be kissing him but _me_."

Enjoying his boyfriend's jealousy, Sasuke smirked, as the rest of the group burst out laughing. Naruto pouted, deciding 'to hell with it' before climbing into Sasuke's lap and hugging him, burying his face in the crook of the Uchiha's pale neck. With both of them more or less the same height, and the blond having slightly broader shoulders and a wider chest, the sight of them like that should have been awkward, but anyone who glanced over couldn't find it anything but adorable.

Sasuke wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, his thumb pressing soothing circles into Naruto's back, "As if I'd ever agree to sit at the booth, usuratonkachi."

"Hn." was the blond's muffled response as he borrowed from his lover's vocabulary much to the Uchiha's amusement.

Chuckling softly, Sasuke turned to meet Ino's gaze, "Did you ask your mother about the flower stall?"

"Yup!" Ino assured him with a grin, "She said she'd pick stuff out from our own garden so it won't affect the shop's profits."

"Dad told me 'Akimichi's' would take care of the food stall. He said it would be good publicity for the restaurant; apparently they want more high school kids eating there." Choji chimed in.

"Inuzuka?" Sasuke directed his gaze to the brunet.

"Petting corner is a-go!" Kiba said, giving the Uchiha a thumb's up, "We're getting a few kittens and puppies from the shelter too—hopefully we can find them some good homes in the process."

Naruto shifted on his boyfriend's lap so he was no longer clinging to Sasuke like a monkey; instead he sat on his side with an arm around the bastard's shoulder, tan fingers playing with the ends of silky smooth black hair. "Someone will need to drive down to a pumpkin farm with me next week to pick up the pumpkins for the jack-o-lantern contest. We've made it clear that anyone interested in taking part is expected to bring their own carving tools."

"Danger of violence?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto scrunched up his nose, "Over a pumpkin carving contest?"

"We need to cover all our bases. People are crazy." Sasuke said seriously.

"What if we had a bunch of people scattered to supervise the contestants. You know, to keep any fights from breaking out." Sakura suggested.

Naruto shrugged, "I still think we might be going overboard on this, but sure, it can't hurt."

The lunch bell went off, and slowly the cafeteria emptied. One by one their friends also grabbed their bags and with a few words of parting left in the direction of their classes, but Naruto and Sasuke remained as they were. When he was pretty sure they were alone, Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's neck once more, breathing in his comforting scent and Sasuke pressed a kiss to his forehead, "You okay?"

"What if they're right?" Naruto asked, his voice muffled.

And this was precisely why he'd been so harsh with their friends earlier. Naruto's insecurities needed only the slightest encouragement in order to flare up.

"Look at me, Naruto." Something in Sasuke's voice, made blue eyes snap up to meet his dark gaze almost immediately, and the emotion in those black eyes made Naruto's breath catch. "Were you lying before? Do you believe others could possibly know what's good for us more than we do?"

The blond head shook, "No, of course not. And I meant it when I said I was never leaving you alone."

"And I meant it when I said I was never letting you go." Sasuke said firmly, "This isn't some social experiment that we're doing to decide whether we're compatible or not, usuratonkachi. We're more than fucking compatible, and both of us know this. What we're doing is starting the rest of our lives, and none of them are going to understand that now."

"They haven't seen what we have." Naruto whispered, resting his forehead against Sasuke's, eyes fluttering shut, "They haven't shared pain, comfort, love and family like we have."

"No." Sasuke agreed, his hands cupping the handsome face before him, "What we have is _ours_ , and we don't need to give a fuck about what others think. Your family understands, Itachi understands, Kakashi understands. Beyond that, no one else's opinion matters. Do you hear me?" Hands curled to grip blond hair as Sasuke fixed his boyfriend with an intense stare.

Naruto let out a shaky breath, "I hear you, bastard." He leaned forward to kiss the Uchiha softly, "I love you."

"I must feel the same way, because otherwise I can't imagine why I'd bother with you." Sasuke said seriously.

The blond scowled, "Such a fucking bastard."

Sasuke chuckled, "Your bastard though, right?"

Naruto beamed, "You better fucking believe it."

* * *

Itachi looked up, brow arched in question as he met Kakashi's brown gaze. The older man had just walked into his office without knocking, something everyone at Uchiha Corp. including his secretary knew never to do.

"Sasuke is here."

Itachi stiffened, eyes widening fractionally as he stopped breathing for just a second.

"He's here with Naruto."

The blond boy's name made a riot of emotions course through the older Uchiha and he had to take a moment to sort through them all.

When he'd gone up to his brother's room two days before to call the two boys down for dinner, he hadn't expected to be assaulted with the indisputable fact that Sasuke and Naruto were having sex. Not just that, Itachi had heard enough in his shocked state to ascertain that his brother was being fucked by another boy. His little brother. His Sasuke.

Obviously his rational mind knew that this was bound to happen. He'd known it from the moment he'd encouraged Naruto to take a chance with Sasuke, that the road would lead here. Sex was a normal part of a healthy relationship, his rational mind knew that. His irrational mind, however, wanted to punch Naruto for defiling his baby brother. Which was absurd because he liked Naruto, loved him even! Not to mention Sasuke would kill him if he hurt the blond in any way.

"Itachi?" Kakashi frowned slightly, "You okay?"

"They're on their way up?" He asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

"Yes. Suigetsu is escorting them." Kakashi confirmed, "I just thought I'd give you a head's up."

"Hn." Itachi inclined his head in acknowledgement and Kakashi made to leave, but paused when the older Uchiha spoke once more, "When you first found out I was having sex, how did you deal with it?" He knew even as he voiced the question that Sasuke was going to murder him, but he wanted to not be angry at Naruto. It felt wrong, and he knew even the slightest hostility from him could hurt the boy; his stand-offish behaviour toward the blond during dinner a few days ago had provided proof of that.

 _"You're sorry you had sex with my brother?" Itachi asked coolly, knowing even as he did that he was being cruel. Naruto had pulled him aside as they were leaving the restaurant and apologised awkwardly._

 _Naruto blushed, his ears a deep red at this point, "That's not what I meant. I love him, obviously I'm not sorry I had sex with him." Blue eyes raised to meet his gaze, looking a bit pained, "I am sorry you found out that way though."_

 _"Oh? Well, I much preferred this method to actually walking in on the two of you. I can do without the visuals, thanks."_

 _Naruto looked visibly upset, swallowing hard, "You're being an asshole about this."_

 _"You were fucking my little brother. What exactly were you expecting?" Itachi asked sharply. He regretted his words though when he saw the stricken expression on the blond's face. Guilt built up within him and he sighed, passing a hand over his face, "Shit. That was uncalled for. I'm sorry, blondie."_

 _Blue eyes were bright with unshed tears and the blond was visibly trembling with emotion, "I didn't mean to make you mad, I swear. I-I don't want you to hate me; you're more than just Sasuke's brother, you are mine too."_

 _Itachi's heart clenched at the sound of desperation in Naruto's voice and he reached forward to poke the blond's forehead, "Foolish little brother." Itachi's lips curved in a slight smile at the way blue eyes widened at his words, "I could never hate you."_

"Sex, you say?" Kakashi's voice brought him back to the present. Brown eyes were lit up just the way Itachi had expected them to be, lips curved in a smirk. The older man chuckled, "Well, I hunted down the boy you were sleeping with and made sure he knew what lay in store should he misstep."

Itachi blinked, "What? You really did that?" He couldn't keep his disbelief from bleeding into his voice.

"Of course I did. Not all older brothers are as lucky as you." Kakashi said, his smirk softening to a smile.

"Lucky, how?" Itachi asked, frowning slightly.

"You know the person your brother is having sex with is someone he's deeply in love with, and someone who unmistakably feels the same way about him. You have nothing to worry about."

Itachi let the words sink in, and when Suigetsu knocked on the door five minutes later he was able to greet his brother and his boyfriend with a genuine smile, "Well, this is a surprise."

Sasuke looked stiff as a board, his dark eyes darting around the office, obviously taking in the changes from the time it used to belong to their father. Itachi saw Naruto's hand move to rest on his brother's back and the younger Uchiha relaxed slightly into the touch.

Clearing his throat, Sasuke spoke with a suspiciously husky voice, "Naruto wanted to see the office."

"I did." The blond confirmed, grinning at Itachi, "I also wanted to see some of those mad fighting skills Sasuke told me about."

"Mad fighting skills?" Itachi repeated, looking to his brother, amused.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "I told him about our training here when we were younger."

"Ah." Itachi said, nodding in understanding, "It _has_ been a long time since the two of us sparred."

"Two of you?" Naruto sounded alarmed, "But Sasuke never finished training right? He's not been back here for years. Would it really be a fair fight?"

"Your lack of faith in me is embarrassing, usuratonkachi." Most of the tension had drained from Sasuke's form now and he shot his blond a glare, "Just because I never came back here, doesn't mean I didn't finish my training. I'm still an Uchiha."

Blue eyes lit up with excitement, "So wait, I get to watch you two fight? Right now?"

The two brothers exchanged a look before turning to the blond with smirks on their handsome faces. Half an hour later saw them all strolling into what looked to be a studio of some kind. Naruto looked around, taking in the mirrors that lined one wall, and the weapons of all kinds that decorated another.

"Wow." He breathed, making his way to the weapons wall and eyeing the swords, guns, bows and metal bars in awe.

Sasuke walked up to stand behind him, nuzzling the back of the blond's neck and inhaling to take in some of that scent that soothed him. Being back in this room was more difficult than going through the rest of the building. This was the Uchihas' private training room, and it hadn't been used in nearly a decade. Naruto hummed happily, stepping back so his back was pressed against his lover's front, letting his head fall back onto a shoulder so he could meet that dark gaze. No words were needed, the look was enough to convey what needed to be said, and it made Sasuke smile slightly before bending his head to brush a kiss to pink lips.

"Aww! Isn't that just adorable, Itachi? I never thought I'd see the day when Sasuke would be okay with PDA." Kakashi said loudly, making both of the younger boys start and flush at the realisation that they weren't alone in the room.

Sasuke stepped back from Naruto, choosing to ignore Kakashi while the blond, being his typical hot-blooded self, turned to tell the older man to mind his own business. Pale hands ran over a few sword hilts before finally stopping on one. He turned back to Itachi, his voice cutting through Naruto and Kakashi's argument, "We're using weapons, right?"

Itachi smirked, "It wouldn't be much of a spar otherwise, would it?"

Sensing that the brothers were about ready to start, Naruto made his way to stand with Kakashi against one of the free walls, as both brothers selected their weapons and took up position at the centre of the room. Sasuke was holding a long, slim sword unsheathed while Itachi faced him with a katana.

"Those swords look sharp." Naruto muttered, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in the Uchiha brothers, but he was never going to be okay with seeing a weapon wielded against Sasuke, no matter who was wielding it and what their intentions were.

Kakashi chuckled, "Relax. They both know what they're doing."

Naruto barely had time to nod before both Uchihas seemed to vanish into thin air. Blue eyes widened in confusion and then awe as Naruto began hearing the clash of metal against metal, but couldn't make out anything else. "Fuck, they're fast." He breathed, his eyes darting around the room following the directions of the sound, unable to pinpoint the location of either Sasuke or Itachi.

"I've watched a lot of Uchihas train and fight." Kakashi said in a low voice, his expression serious for once as he watched the spar intensely, "These two are by far the most talented of the family. With their ability to pick things up quickly, remember everything they've been taught, analyse their opponent and change fighting styles depending on their strengths and weaknesses…even Obito couldn't have matched them."

"Obito?" Naruto looked to the Uchihas' guardian questioningly.

A pained expression crossed the usually unreadable face and Kakashi sighed, "Obito was my best friend and their cousin. He was a rising star among the Uchiha, even Fugaku acknowledged his skills and that was a big deal." Kakashi paused for a moment to close his eyes, "He died protecting the Itachi and Sasuke. He gave them enough time to go hide so the assassins couldn't get to them."

Naruto froze, "I thought the order made it clear that children weren't to be harmed." He said slowly, his voice low and controlled.

"Since when did Danzou ever listen to orders?" Kakashi asked with a bitter scoff, "He intended to have both of them killed, that I'm sure of. Obito's quick thinking saved them."

Naruto shook his head, disbelief clear in every line of his face and body, "Why? They were just _kids_. Why would anyone want to kill them?"

"They were the future heads of the family, Naruto. As long as they lived, the Uchihas could rise to power again. Not to mention, Uchiha Corp. would remain firmly out of Danzou's reach."

A sudden clang had both of them turning their attention back to the spar and Naruto straightened when he saw Sasuke's sword fly out of his hands and knock into the wall behind him. Both brothers were sweating, but unless you looked closely, you couldn't tell that they were breathing hard. Itachi slowly lowered his katana which had been pointed threateningly at Sasuke's neck, his shoulders slumping as he did, "You've been slacking, little brother."

"I almost had you a few times." Sasuke said, scowling as he wrestled his sweat-soaked t-shirt over his head and onto the floor.

"'Almost' doesn't make you any less dead right now." Itachi said with a smirk, as he walked toward Sasuke's discarded sword and picked it up before moving to replace both swords in their rightful place by the wall. He turned to face Naruto and Kakashi when he had, "So blondie, how were those mad fighting skills? Did we live up to your expectations?"

"You massacred my expectations." Naruto said with a wide grin, blue eyes moving to meet his lover's dark gaze, "I couldn't even see the two of you when you fought! You were _that_ fast."

"Hn." Sasuke's smug expression gave away his feelings and Itachi chuckled, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sasuke, your new office is set up and ready for you; maybe you and blondie want to go take a look? It's on this floor, down the hall, last door to the left."

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a quick glance before the younger Uchiha nodded, bending to pick up his t-shirt before leading the way out of the room with his blond following close behind, their hands linking as soon as they were close enough to one another. Kakashi waited until they were out of the room before turning to Itachi with an arched brow. The older Uchiha shrugged wordlessly, smirking, "I suggest we make our way back to our offices, Kakashi. From prior experience I can tell you that we don't want to be anywhere near that room for a good while."

Kakashi laughed out loud, following the older Uchiha out of the room and to the elevators.

In the meantime, Sasuke had Naruto up against the wall just inside his office, the door closed and locked. The blond's pants were undone and boxers pushed down, while Sasuke had stripped off his pants and underwear to join his t-shirt on the floor. He pressed himself forward till every inch of his front was touching Naruto's back, the blond's clothes against his bare skin turning him on more than he would have thought. His cock was nestled between strong tan thighs that were providing a delicious sheath as he pulled back and thrust forward. Naruto let out a strangled moan as the movement had Sasuke's erection bumping into his own and pressed backward to encourage the motion. The two quickly fell into a rhythm, and Sasuke was anything but gentle. His hand gripped the back of Naruto's head tightly as he angled the blond's head in a way that gave him the best access to the tan, unmarked neck and shoulders. His teeth bit into skin hard enough to draw blood as his hips thrust at a pace that was nearly inhuman. Naruto let out a keening cry when one of Sasuke's pale hands slipped up to pinch a nipple roughly, coming violently against the wall. Watching Naruto triggered Sasuke's release and both of them slumped forward when they were done, slowly sliding down the wall till they were sitting.

"If that's what you want to do every time you spar, I'm going to be a huge fan of you sparring." Naruto finally managed, shifting his head to nuzzle Sasuke's jaw.

The Uchiha chuckled, "Adrenaline rush. I've had them before, but I can safely say that this is the first time I've wanted to fuck someone senseless because of it."

"It better have been." Naruto said, blue eyes narrowed at his lover's face.

Sasuke smirked, "I don't see anyone but you, usuratonkachi. I never have, I never will."

Naruto grinned widely, before snuggling up to his boyfriend's naked body, "You know, you could have."

Sasuke buried his face in the tan neck, humming in satisfaction, "I could have what?"

"You could have fucked me senseless." Naruto's ears were a charming red when Sasuke lifted his head to stare at him, "I mean, I know that you want to, and well, I kind of want you to too."

"You do?" Sasuke's lips twitched as he fought a smile.

Naruto turned to glare at him, "Of course I do! Hell, I thought that would be the only way you'd want to do it anyway. Not that I'm not happy that you're okay with switching up, but…I mean…Argh! You're enjoying this!" The blond hid his face behind his hands in embarrassment and Sasuke laughed, his arms tightening around his lover.

"Of course I'm enjoying this. The person I love is telling me they want to be fucked by me; it's always a nice thing to hear."

Naruto scowled, "You already knew that though."

"Doesn't mean it isn't nice to hear." Sasuke countered, bending his head to kiss pouting lips. The kiss deepened and Naruto twisted his position so he was straddling his Uchiha, his fingers curled into silky black hair. When they pulled apart, they were both breathless and flushed. A pale hand rose to caress a tan cheek and Sasuke rested his forehead against his blond's, "After we've had our second date, I'm going to take you home, up to my room. The house will be empty because I would have made Itachi go spend the night at Deidara's and there will be candles and music and all that mushy stuff."

Naruto let out a shaky breath, blue eyes locked on black as he listened intently, seduced by every single word.

"I'll slowly undress you, take my time with it so I can torture you the way you've tortured me so many times now." Sasuke breathed, leaning forward to nibble on a red earlobe, "I'll make you lie down naked in the middle of my huge bed, and then you know what I'm going to do?"

"Fuck me?" Naruto guessed, his voice weak as images of the night Sasuke had planned for them swam in his mind.

"Mmm, no, usuratonkachi." Sasuke brushed light kisses along Naruto's cheekbones and down his nose before finally kissing his lips. "I'm going to make love to you." He murmured, lips brushing against his blond's as he spoke.

Naruto closed his eyes, shifting forward so he and Sasuke were close enough that they were practically one person. He felt their hearts beating in sync and smiled against his Uchiha's lips, "So when is this second date going to be?"

Sasuke seemed to consider that for a moment, "How about next week? Will you go to the Halloween Fair as my date?"

Naruto pulled back so he could look into Sasuke's face, "You're the Student Council President and part of the organisation committee for the fair. I'm a volunteer. We can't go on a date then!"

"I say we can, and as you just pointed out, I'm Student Council President." Sasuke said dismissively, "Besides the others would cover for us."

Naruto still looked unsure, "I'm in charge of the pumpkin-carving contest though."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Fine. You can finish that before we start our date. Any more objections?"

Naruto beamed, "Nope."

"It's a date then." Sasuke said, pressing a quick kiss to his idiot's lips before beginning to detangle himself from the blond. "We should go up and hang out with Itachi for a bit before it's time to go home for dinner."

"Hey, bastard?"

"Hn?"

"I love you."

Sasuke's small smile as he pulled on his clothes was enough of an answer for Naruto.

* * *

 **I'd really love some reviews guys. Also, we're getting close to the end. :)**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"Bear with me here, Sasuke, I need to make sure I understand what you're asking of me." Itachi drawled, onyx eyes focused on his little brother who stood across from him in his private study. "You want me out of the house this Friday night, but you want me to lie to Minato and Kushina that I'm going to be here."

Sasuke scowled, "I'm not asking you to lie. I'm asking you not to mention the fact that you're going to be out. There's a difference."

Itachi gave his brother a bemused look, "Why do you want me out of the house so desperately anyway? If it's to fuck your boyfriend, might I remind you that you both have had no problem jumping each other while I'm in the house."

"And if it were like any other time, I wouldn't ask, Itachi. Come on, when was the last time I asked you for anything?" Sasuke pressed, his expression determined.

Itachi leaned forward in his chair, his elbows resting on his teak desk, hands steepled, "Why is this time different?"

Sasuke glared, but he knew even as he did that it was a lost cause. Itachi was not going to agree until he knew what he wanted to know, and that was that. Sasuke sighed, averting his gaze as he felt his cheeks heat, "He deserves it, okay? All that ridiculous, romantic, lovey-dovey crap everyone makes such a big deal about when they lose their virginity."

"And you didn't deserve the same treatment?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his elder brother, "I could have lost my virginity in a ditch and I would have still felt Naruto's love for me in my bones. It's there in every expression, every touch, every _word_. Not to mention his new habit of making declarations all the time! I'm not like that. Those words don't come easily to me, my face doesn't give much away, and all that is never going to change." A pale hand rose to shakily push itself through dark hair, "I need to do this for him. I need him to know."

Itachi's expression was soft by the time Sasuke had finished speaking and he got up to go stand before his little brother, placing his hands on Sasuke's shoulders, "Foolish little brother." He chided warmly, "Blondie knows you love him, don't doubt that." He let his hands fall away and sighed, "I suppose if you put your reasoning like that, I can't exactly say no. Never thought I'd see the day I would be aiding and abetting you to seduce your unsuspecting boyfriend."

Sasuke chuckled, "Oh, he knows what I'm planning."

Itachi frowned, "He does? Why didn't you just let it be a surprise?"

"Because this way he's going to be thinking about it, and by association, me, all week." Sasuke said with a smirk, before turning to leave the room, "Thanks for agreeing Itachi."

"Hn." Was all the older Uchiha said as he fought a smile and shook his head. It was during times like these that he was inexorably proud that he had managed to raise Sasuke to be every inch an Uchiha.

* * *

"You realise this is going to be a huge pain for me." Shikamaru grumbled, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

"You'll live." Sasuke said dismissively as he frowned at the stall in front of him, "Is it safe to have that white monstrosity loose like that, Inuzuka?"

The monstrosity in question let out a low growl and Kiba scowled, "Hey! Akamaru is a great dog! He wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"He's baring his teeth at me." Sasuke pointed out dryly, eyeing the massive dog a bit warily.

"Well, that just shows he's a good judge of character." Kiba said proudly, scratching the dog behind a floppy ear, "Aren't you, boy?"

Shikamaru fought a smile at the way Sasuke's eye twitched, but before the Uchiha could eviscerate Kiba with his words, the roar of an engine sounded drawing the attention of everyone on the school grounds. It was the evening before the Halloween Fair and all the members of the student council and the seniors who had volunteered to man stalls were setting up for the next day. The Halloween Fair was a bit of a Konoha tradition, a full day affair, and everyone from the town made sure to stop by. It opened at ten in the morning so everything had to be set up by that evening.

Sasuke threw Kiba a final glare before making his way toward the pick-up truck that had turned into the school parking lot, its bed full of pumpkins. Naruto climbed out of the driver's seat, grinning at his approaching boyfriend, "Hey bastard."

"I see you had no problem at the pumpkin farm." Sasuke mused, his dark eyes shifting to the girl getting out from the passenger seat.

"Well, the guy tried to bump up the prices and rip us off, but Sakura handled it." Naruto said with a chuckle as the pink-haired girl stepped up beside him, holding a packet of ice to her knuckles.

Shikamaru stiffened, "You _hit_ the guy?"

"He was being unreasonable." Sakura said evenly.

Sasuke's brows rose, "Nicely done." He said, a small smile curving his lips, "We aren't going to have to worry about him suing the school, do we?"

"Oh, he knows better than that." Sakura said with a mild smile that had shivers running down all three of the boys' backs. Then her expression was back to that friendly, open look everyone was used to and she smiled, "I'm going to go see if Ino needs help with her stall."

Naruto waited until she was out of earshot before sidling up to Sasuke and nudging the Uchiha's shoulder with his own, "She's scary as fuck when she wants to be, bastard. I'm just glad she never tried to take me on in a fist-fight for you."

Shikamaru let out a bark of laughter and even Sasuke had to chuckle at the mental image the blond's words drew up, "Idiot." He said, shaking his head before looking back at the pile of pumpkins, "Are we going to just leave them in there overnight?"

Naruto nodded, "Makes the most sense. I'm sure as hell not lugging them into the school and then lugging them back out tomorrow." He shut the driver's side door with a bang, "When the contest is about to start, we'll have someone here handing out a pumpkin to each contestant."

Shikamaru frowned, "If I'm going to be in charge of everything tomorrow because you're seducing Naruto, who's going to be in charge of the contest while he's being seduced?"

Naruto's face went bright red at Shikamaru's words, and Sasuke smirked at the sight, letting his fingers deliberately brush up against the blond's ass making him let out an embarrassing squeak, "My usuratonkachi wanted to see his duties through, so you'll need to take over for me only after the contest ends at one."

"It's really too much to hope that his sense of ethics rubs off on you, isn't it?" Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head.

Sasuke grinned, "Maybe it will, what with all the rubbing off on each other that we do."

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, horrified, as Shikamaru let out a shocked laugh, "Wow. I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"Why is it that I'm always within earshot when you two are being disgusting?" Neji bemoaned, looking heavenward as he passed them on his way to Lee's mock-dojo.

"Because your pervert senses are in tune with the bastard's." Naruto called after him, trying to fight off the colour on his face as he turned to glare at his boyfriend, "What's wrong with you?"

Sasuke chuckled, leaning in to brush a kiss to Naruto's pouting lips, "I told you, I like making you blush." Dark eyes moved slowly over the length of the blond's body, "I wonder how far down the colour goes." He murmured so softly that only Naruto could hear him.

Naruto pursed his lips before grabbing Sasuke's arm and dragging him away. Shikamaru watched them go with amused eyes, before turning to continue the rounds he and Sasuke had been in the midst of.

Sasuke found himself pressed back against one of the school walls, out of sight of the main grounds where everyone was setting up. Naruto lips covered his as the blond kissed him almost feverishly, tan fingers tightening in dark hair as he tried to move closer to Sasuke; an impossible task since every line of his body was already pressed against the Uchiha's.

Sasuke grinned into the smile, using his strength to push off and turn them so it was Naruto who had his back to the wall and Sasuke who was looming over him. Naruto welcomed the change, his head dropping back to hit the wall as pink lips travelled down his neck, "I hate you for doing this to me." He whined, looping one leg around Sasuke's waist so his cock was grinding against his boyfriend's.

Sasuke chuckled against his skin, "What is it that I'm doing, usuratonkachi?"

"You're torturing me, and you're enjoying it." Naruto said accusingly, tightening his grip on Sasuke's hair and pulling his head back to glare down at him. "After this week from hell, you better not draw it out tomorrow night."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sasuke said innocently, though his wicked smirk gave him away.

"This is the most you've touched me in ten days, bastard. If I didn't know you were doing it on purpose, I'd have thought you'd got sick of me or something." Naruto griped, scowling. Whenever he'd tried to make plans to spend time with Sasuke alone, the Uchiha had always had something to do. They hadn't slept together, or done much more than kiss, since their visit to Uchiha Corp and Naruto desperately missed the physical connection.

Sasuke's expression softened, as he leaned in to kiss his blond deeply, "You know staying away from you has been as hard for me as it's been for you." He murmured against Naruto's lips, "We've had mid-terms though, and we both needed to study. Not to mention your parents and my brother have been watching us like hawks to make sure we weren't distracted."

"As if any of that could have really stopped you from finding time alone with me if you'd wanted." Naruto mumbled, unable to keep the reproachful tone from his voice.

"You're right." Sasuke said simply, shrugging, "However, it isn't as if you didn't know what I've been planning for tomorrow; that should have cleared any doubts you had in your head about me not wanting you."

Naruto pouted. Damn him for being right, but it was precisely because of Sasuke's fairly explicit description of what was going to happen the next night that Naruto's insecurities had been kept at bay. "What does that have to do with you staying away though?"

Sasuke smirked, "There's something to be said for delayed gratification, usuratonkachi."

"That's not what you were saying two weeks ago." Naruto reminded him, his eyes glazing over as his mind brought forward the image of Sasuke under him, writhing, panting, and moaning while cursing him for taking his time.

"Hn." Sasuke's gaze was heated as he leaned in to kiss Naruto roughly, biting his lower lip as he pulled away, "I did admit that it was the best orgasm I'd ever had."

Naruto wrapped his arms around his Uchiha, pulling him close, "Fuck me, bastard. Please? Mid-terms are over, no more excuses. Just, let's go home. Let me feel you inside me." He arched up into Sasuke's body, looking up at him from under hooded lids, "I want to feel you inside me so badly."

Sasuke let out a low growl before devouring Naruto's lips, his hands moving possessively over the blond's body and for a moment Naruto thought he'd won.

Sasuke pulled back and Naruto groaned, "I fucking hate you."

The Uchiha grinned, "No. You love me." He corrected, kissing his blond once more, this time lightly, "Just one more night, usuratonkachi. Be patient."

"Let's see how much you like delayed gratification the next time I fuck you." Naruto said darkly, letting his leg slip off his lover, but keeping his arms around him as he tucked his face into Sasuke's neck. He breathed in that crisp scent and sighed, "Can we stay like this for some time?"

Sasuke smiled softly, wrapping his arms tighter around the blond and lowering his head so his nose was buried in Naruto's golden hair, "Yeah, we can do that."

* * *

 **A short chapter this time. We're nearing the end of the story - or at least the end of what I'm going to be writing :) A story like this one never really ends.**

 **Leave a review please!**

 **~Living To Laugh and Love**


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"Ah! A welcoming committee!" Deidara cried with a grin, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but members of the welcoming committee should look…I don't know, cheerful, right?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Be happy there's a welcoming committee at all. We're ridiculously short-handed today." He took the money for the tickets and handed out three to Deidara and the two people with him.

"Sasuke, this is my best friend, Sasori and my sister, Kurotsuchi." Deidara said, pointing to the red-headed man and the dark-haired girl in turn, "Guys, this is Itachi's little brother."

"I kind of guessed." Sasori said, flashing Sasuke a smile, "Uchiha genes are fairly distinctive."

"It's nice to finally meet you." Kurotsuchi said, "Big bro has been talking about all of you non-stop for the last few weeks. Where's your boyfriend…Naruto, right?"

Sasuke shot Deidara an arched look to which the blond just shrugged and he rolled his eyes, "He's in there somewhere." He said gesturing back to the grounds, "He's the overenthusiastic blond; very hard to miss."

Sasori chuckled, "We'll go on ahead, Dei."

"Ooh! Akimichi's has a stall here!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed, grabbing Sasori's hand and dragging him to where Choji was standing, greeting customers and taking orders.

Sasuke tried to ignore Deidara standing off to the side staring at him as he worked but after the tenth person had gone past and the blond showed no signs of moving, he cracked. "What?"

"Big night planned, huh?"

Dark eyes narrowed, "Itachi needs to learn to shut his mouth."

Deidara chuckled, "Now, now, Sasuke. Weren't you the one who told him to be more honest with me?"

"About _his_ feelings, not about _my_ life!" Sasuke said, shaking his head, "You two are like gossipy old women."

"Hey, you got me involved when you asked Itachi to get out of your place and come stay at mine. Obviously he needed to tell me the reason." Deidara explained evenly.

"Obviously." Sasuke said dryly, "Whatever. So you know. Why are you here talking to me about it?"

"Well, Itachi wasn't very forthcoming about the details." Deidara leaned his elbows on the table, pale blue eyes trained on Sasuke's face, "He said you were going to be romantic, but couldn't tell me how."

"That's because he doesn't know."

"I want to know though." Deidara said pleadingly, "I'm a romantic at heart. And I love you guys. Come on, tell me!"

Sasuke glanced at the next person in line and flushed when he saw a group of juniors from school listening intently to their conversation. He glared at them, making them stiffen and hand over the money quickly before scampering into the midst of the fair.

"Sai, I'll be right back." He told the boy who was selling tickets with him, and when he received a nod he walked off, stopping only when he was out of earshot of the people in line.

Deidara followed him sheepishly, "I guess I was a bit loud."

"No kidding." Sasuke grumbled, "Anyway, why do you want to know? Whatever I have planned is between me and that idiot."

"Aren't you nervous though? I'm sure you are! And knowing you, you wouldn't have talked to anyone about it. So here I am! Come on, you can tell me." Deidara urged, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and squeezing reassuringly.

The Uchiha eyed him warily then sighed, "You won't tell Itachi?"

"Not a word." Deidara promised, blue eyes serious.

Sasuke searched his face then sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I don't know what to do."

Deidara frowned, "What?"

Dark eyes, wide with panic and fear, darted up to meet Deidara's befuddled gaze, "I don't know what to do!" Sasuke repeated, letting all the stress that had been building up over the last ten days burst forth, "I've been looking things up and thinking about it all week, but nothing seems right! I don't want it to be too cliché but I'm not able to come up with anything else. And now, Naruto is expecting something brilliant, and I'm going to look like a complete idiot because I have absolutely nothing!" Deidara watched with wide eyes as Sasuke Uchiha had a complete and total freakout by the ticketing booth for the Halloween Fair. "I wanted to do this because Naruto deserves it, and I wanted to make sure he had no doubt about how I felt. Now, he's going to think this is all one big joke and it wasn't, I swear. I really thought I could come up with something."

"Okay, whoa!" Deidara placed both his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and shook him hard, "Slow down and take a deep breath for me, yeah?"

Sasuke tried to look annoyed, but he couldn't manage it as he doubled over and worked on controlling his breathing. Once he was breathing steadily he straightened and sighed, "I don't know what I was thinking, trying to plan this. This isn't me. Naruto deserves romance and stuff, but I'm not ever going to be able to give it to him."

"Hey, all Naruto wants is you. Anyone who's ever seen him around you can tell. Maybe you're trying to approach this the wrong way. You're trying to be someone you're not, but the person Naruto fell in love with was _you_. Not some romantic guy who spews poetry and gives flowers." Deidara said meeting and holding that dark gaze.

Sasuke frowned, more than a little disheartened, "I promised him though. I told him there'd be candles and music and all the mushy stuff."

"Candles and music, huh?"

Sasuke eyed Deidara's suddenly calculating expression, "What? Do you have an idea?"

A wide grin split his handsome face as the blond nodded, "Oh yeah, I think I do."

* * *

"Thanks for participating! The judges are going to come around now and take a look before making a final decision." Naruto announced, just as Nagato and Yahiko, the two alumni they had asked to judge the event, got up and made their way around the cordoned off section of pumpkin-carvers.

Arms slipped around Naruto's waist and he let out a pleased hum as lips pressed a kiss just below his left ear, "You're supposed to be done by now."

Naruto tilted his head back to rest it on Sasuke's shoulder so he could kiss his Uchiha's lips in greeting, "They all looked like they were having so much fun, so I gave them an extra ten minutes."

"Of course you did." Sasuke said, nuzzling his usuratonkachi's neck. He wondered idly how long Deidara needed to finish setting up, how long he needed to wait before he could drag Naruto back home where there was a bed accessible.

"Bastard?" Sasuke blinked, focusing on furrowed golden brows and confused blue eyes, "Hey, what were you thinking about? I've been calling you for the last five minutes."

"Oh." Sasuke frowned, "Sorry. What were you saying, usuratonkachi?"

Naruto grinned, stepping up and pulling Sasuke forward into him, "I was saying that I'm ready to get this date started."

"Well, that makes two of us." Sasuke said, smiling slightly as he bent down to brush a kiss to his blond's forehead before pulling away, keeping their hands linked, "Lunch first?"

Naruto let himself be led to Akimichi's as he talked a mile a minute about what he'd been up to since the morning. As he spoke, his blue eyes studied Sasuke's relaxed face and body language, inwardly heaving a sigh of relief. When Sasuke had painted the picture of what he had planned for the night ahead while they'd been at Uchiha Corp., Naruto had been absolutely floored and overwhelmed; so much so that it didn't occur to him till later to wonder how Sasuke was going to manage to put everything together. Love and grand gestures were definitely outside Sasuke's comfort-zone, so would he ask for help? No, that wasn't his bastard; help was out of the question; but then how was he going to do this?

With those questions in mind, he'd observed Sasuke all week, watching as the Uchiha's demeanour got more and more tense with each passing day. He knew Sasuke would never talk to him about it because he was too damn proud. He'd told Naruto he'd give him the perfect first time and he would mentally torture himself trying to come up with a way to make it happen. Yesterday, when Naruto had finally gotten Sasuke alone, he had made an attempt to derail this evening, but Sasuke had been stubborn, not taking the bait.

So of course, Naruto had called Itachi.

 _"You've noticed as well."_

 _"I'm worried about him. He's putting so much pressure on himself, and he's not talking to me about it at all." Naruto said, picking at the ends of his comforter as he spoke to Itachi on his cell._

 _"My little brother is under the impression that he needs to do something special so you know how he feels about you, blondie." Itachi revealed softly._

 _"What?" Naruto frowned, "But I already know how he feels! There's no need for all this."_

 _"Sasuke believes his shows of affection so far have been inadequate in comparison to yours. He wants to do something special for you, yes, but I believe that through this evening he's also telling himself that he can give you everything you deserve. My brother isn't the best with being open about his feelings, and he sees this as a fault given how you are the complete opposite." Itachi sighed, "I'm afraid he's going to be very upset with himself if he doesn't figure something out."_

 _"He's such a fucking bastard. Working himself up all on his own like this." Naruto muttered, rubbing a hand over his forehead as he tried to soothe his nerves, "He needs to talk to someone, but he won't talk to me. Not about this. Can you speak to him, Itachi?"_

 _"He won't speak to me either." Itachi dismissed, but his tone was thoughtful, "I think I know who he will talk to though."_

 _Naruto immediately knew who he was talking about and he grinned, a little relieved, "Of course. Deidara."_

The fact that Sasuke was relaxed meant one of two things; either he'd figured something out on his own, or Deidara had found him and eased his fears. Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto glanced up from his third bowl of ramen to meet Sasuke's serene gaze as the Uchiha sat across from him, listening to his chatter and watching him eat. He'd finished his own meal half an hour ago.

"Um, so, did you see Deidara today?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Sasuke's eyes immediately narrowed, but he kept his tone casual as he nodded, "He came in with his sister and his best friend. You didn't see them?"

"Oh, yeah! I did, but well, I was just wondering if you did, you know?" Naruto said, shooting furtive glances at his boyfriend as he ate.

Subtlety was not Naruto's strong-suit, and Sasuke immediately saw through his attempt to dig for information. His calculating mind made the right jumps in logic, and he scowled at the blond, "You asked him to talk to me, didn't you?"

The way those blue eyes widened as Naruto's mouth dropped open was almost comical, but Sasuke didn't feel like laughing. "What? No! Why would I do that? I mean, I didn't have anything to do with anything. Really!" The blond insisted, laughing nervously.

Sasuke shot him a cool glare before throwing some money on their table and getting up to stalk out of the small seating area outside the food stall. Naruto quickly abandoned his food, chasing after his boyfriend, "Sasuke! Come on, don't be mad."

"I'm not mad." The Uchiha's voice was tight with fury as he spoke, but Naruto didn't think it prudent to point that out.

"I was just worried about you. You've been working yourself up over this stupid evening and keeping it all bottled up inside!" Naruto said, sprinting so he was ahead of Sasuke before turning and standing in his way. They were just inside the forest now, away from prying eyes and ears.

"Move, Naruto." Sasuke's tone was deadly, but the blond didn't budge, knowing that the fact that his lover was actually calling him by his name meant he was really upset.

"Sasuke, come on, please. We're on a date, and we've not spent time alone in ages." Naruto pleaded, his eyes holding that dark gaze.

The Uchiha's jaw tightened as he looked away, every line of his body which had been relaxed a few minutes before was now completely rigid. There was complete silence for a while before Sasuke spoke, his voice low, "So you've known this whole time that I was struggling."

Naruto hesitated, before sighing and nodding, "I know you, bastard. I know when something is bothering you, and even though you did your best to fucking avoid me, I figured it out."

Sasuke ran a hand over his face, his shoulders slumping, his expression weary, "I'm sorry. You deserve better than someone who can't even figure out how to show you he lo—cares about you." He flinched as he spoke. He couldn't even _say_ the words without mentally preparing himself for them.

Naruto wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, nuzzling his jaw, "I deserve to be with who I _want_ to be with, and I want someone who loves me despite the fact that they never thought they'd ever be able to love anyone. I want someone who has every reason to run at the very mention of love but still gives me their whole heart." Blue eyes held black, "I deserve you, bastard. Don't try to tell me I'm wrong, because I won't believe it."

Sasuke couldn't help his small smile and Naruto surged forward, kissing him, his arms wrapped tightly around the Uchiha. Sasuke slowly thawed, humming into the kiss. One hand of his hands moving to grip the back of his blond's head and angling it so he could dominate the kiss, while the other moved down to cup his ass. Naruto moaned into Sasuke's lips, moving closer so he could feel Sasuke's arousal against his hip.

"Can we go home now?" Naruto asked hopefully as Sasuke's lips kissed and nipped their way down his neck.

"Mmm, no." Sasuke murmured, biting particularly hard at the junction of Naruto's neck and shoulder.

"Why not?" Naruto couldn't help but whine, "We don't need to do the whole big thing anymore. I know you love me, so let's just go."

"Deidara actually helped me come up with something. I'm not letting it go to waste." Sasuke said firmly, smirking when he saw the intrigue lighting those blue eyes.

"What did you come up with?"

The Uchiha chuckled, "Patience, usuratonkachi. Let's finish our date first."

Naruto looked like he was ready to argue some more, but then sighed, "Fine. Let's go back to Akimichi's, I didn't finish my ramen."

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he followed his boyfriend back to the food stall.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch. Naruto dragged Sasuke to each of their friends' stalls, forcing the Uchiha to spend money every time. Sasuke went along with it until they came to Kiba's and Naruto's eyes went large and wistful at the sight of the baby animals.

"No." Sasuke said firmly before Naruto could even ask him.

The blond pouted, "They're so cute. Please? Let's get one."

"Are you crazy, usuratonkachi? I can barely look after _you_. We don't need a pet." Sasuke argued, scowling, before turning to glare at Kiba.

The Inuzuka threw up his hands, "Hey, I didn't put him up to this. Besides, I'd never encourage impulse pet shoppers. Owning a pet is a big decision; they take a lot of time and need a lot of love. You can't just get one for the sake of it."

"I know that!" Naruto cried indignantly, "I'd take care of it properly and I'd give it lots and lots of love." His eyes zeroed in on an orange tabby kitten with wide brown eyes and he gently picked it up, "Ohh, you're so adorable!" He cooed, holding it to his chest and giving Sasuke a pleading look.

Sasuke pursed his lips, "We have another eight months of school, idiot. And then I'll start work with Itachi and you'll be busy with either work or college. Who's going to take care of it then?"

"He'd be all grown up by then. Cats don't need constant supervision, right Kiba?" Naruto asked, throwing the Inuzuka an inquiring look.

Kiba felt Sasuke's narrowed gaze on him as he sighed, "Well, no. Cats are fairly self-sufficient once they're older. They do get lonely though, so Uchiha has a point."

Naruto frowned thoughtfully, "We definitely can't let Kyuubi get lonely. We'll just have to get two."

Sasuke looked heavenward, pinching the bridge of his nose as he fought to keep hold of his temper, "We'll just get two? Usuratonkachi, we're not getting any. And don't name the bloody thing, it's not yours."

Completely ignoring him, Naruto grinned at his bemused friend manning the stall, "Hey, Kiba, could you just take the black kitten and put it in Sasuke's hands?"

"No." Sasuke protested, "Don't you dare, Inuzuka. I will drop the damn thing if I have to." The Uchiha tried backing away, but Kiba's sister (who was finding the whole thing incredibly amusing) was holding him still with surprising strength for a girl. "I said don't—!" Kiba gently set the black kitten in Sasuke's hands and little red eyes blinked up at him innocently. He groaned, "Goddamn it."

They left the stall with a basket lined with soft sheets and two kittens curled up inside, wide eyes open and blinking up at their new humans. Naruto was carrying a plastic bag with two bowls, a litter box, a bag of kitty litter and a few toys for their new pets.

"Sasuke, don't walk so fast! They could fall out." Naruto scolded, chasing after his pissed off lover.

"How are we going to take care of them? We don't even live in the same house yet!" Sasuke pointed out sharply, dark gaze narrowed on his blond.

"You keep them at yours. I don't want them to get too used to Mom and Dad, since they won't be at the new house." Naruto said as if it were the most obvious thing.

"Given that you are so calm about it, I'm assuming you have some kind of a plan as to what they're going to do while we're in school." Sasuke said coolly, jaw tight.

"Mom will take care of them; she gets lonely when all of us are gone. They'll spend the night in your room, and I'll sleepover the first few days so they get used to both of us. We'll be like their parents!" Naruto said, chuckling.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Cats." He muttered, "Did you plan this?"

Naruto's smile was a bit guilty, "I saw them last time I visited Kiba, and I swear, Sasuke they adopted me. I had nothing to do with it."

Pink lips twitched as the Uchiha fought a smile, trying to keep hold of his annoyance, "So Inuzuka was in on this too. You were never going to leave without both of these fluff-balls."

Naruto grinned, knowing his boyfriend was more resigned now than angry, "They _are_ fluff-balls, aren't they?" He bent over the basket, cooing happily at the two little creatures, "What are you going to name yours?"

"Mine?" Sasuke arched a single brow, "I thought they were both _ours_."

"They are, but I named Kyuubi. It's only fair that you name this little guy." Naruto said, fondling a silky black ear.

Sasuke frowned down at the little kitten as it mewled and blinked up at him, red eyes standing out against its dark fur, "Sharingan."

"What?" Naruto blinked, looking up at the Uchiha.

"It's the name of the Uchiha unit of the Land of Fire's defense forces." Sasuke shrugged, "At least it used to be. The insignia was a red iris; inside was a black pupil surrounded by three commas." Almost involuntarily, his foot drew out the symbol in the dirt, and Naruto looked down at it.

"Sharingan." He repeated, his voice low, before bending to scoop up the little black kitten and nuzzling its face, "He looks like he'd live up to the name, doesn't he?"

Sasuke scoffed, but he was smiling as he began walking once more. The kitten left in the basket cried out plaintively, and Sasuke sighed before scooping it out into his hand as well, where it immediately settled down, purring. "You're going to be a spoilt brat, I can already tell." Sasuke chided, looking down at the orange ball of fur.

Brown eyes blinked innocently up at him.

* * *

 **God, so sorry guys! This update is ridiculously late. Hope you enjoyed it though! Leave a review :)**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

"You're sure they'll be okay with Deidara?" Naruto asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

"They'll be fine, usuratonkachi. You heard him, right? He and Itachi will watch the fur-balls for us tonight." Sasuke said with a sigh, driving away from the fair. It was getting dark now and Deidara had called fifteen minutes ago to let him know everything was ready. They had met in the school parking lot and handed over the kittens to the blond who'd fallen head-over-heels in love with them.

"Maybe we shouldn't leave them alone on their first night with us." Naruto fretted, nibbling on his lower lip.

"Oh?" Sasuke shot his boyfriend an arched look, "You're saying you want to put this off for another time? You can do that, but know you're not getting within five inches of me for the next month in that case."

Naruto frowned, "No, I don't want to put this off. If you remember, I was the one throwing myself at you last night. _You_ said no."

"Because I wanted it to be special."

"It would have been special because I was with you." Naruto said firmly.

"Shut up, usuratonkachi." Sasuke was glad the low light hid his heated cheeks, "The little brats will be fine for one night. Itachi will give them milk, Deidara will fuss over them, and we'll be back to see them in the morning."

"Yeah, oka—wait, where are we going?" Naruto asked, frowning as the car drove past the Uchiha mansion and his house. His inhaled sharply and his eyes widened when he saw where they were going, "Sasuke." He breathed, awe and love colouring his tone.

"Wait until we're inside before freaking out." Sasuke said, a laugh in his voice as the electronic gates slid open to let them into what was going to be their new home, their first home together.

Naruto swallowed tightly as he took note of all the candles lining the driveway up to the house, his heart clenching almost painfully in his chest as the car pulled to a stop just outside the front door. He quickly let himself out, walking up the stairs without waiting for Sasuke and fumbling for his key to let them in.

He felt Sasuke step up behind him as he pushed open the front door and his breath caught as he noticed the fairy lights lining the staircase; he bet they continued all the way to the room he and Sasuke would share. He reached back and gripped his Uchiha's hand tightly as he followed the lights' path, hearing soft music playing as they got closer to their destination. He let out a thick laugh, looking back at Sasuke with bright eyes, "Candles and music."

"Candles and music." Sasuke confirmed, leaning forward to brush a kiss to his blond's temple.

Exhaling shakily, Naruto gently nudged the partly open door to their room and sighed at the sight of the inviting piles of what were clearly sleeping bags, comforters, pillows and blankets all thrown together in a make-shift nest. The room was lit with the soft glow of a few lamps and more fairy lights. The door to their bathroom was open and Naruto could see flickering candlelight inside. He shot Sasuke a questioning look, and the Uchiha looked almost shy as he scratched the back of his neck, "You liked the bathroom, so I thought we could soak in the bathtub before…"

Naruto latched on to Sasuke like a monkey, and somehow the Uchiha managed to keep his balance as he suddenly found himself with arms full of usuratonkachi.

"I fucking love you, you know that?" The words were muffled against his neck but Sasuke understood every word and he smiled, wrapping his arms around the blond as well, "I love you too."

Their lips met in a hungry kiss as Naruto slowly walked backward, leading Sasuke forward until they were both stumbling into the bathroom. "Strip." Naruto murmured huskily, his hands already pulling his shirt over his head.

Sasuke chuckled, leaning forward to nip at a dusky nipple, making his blond let out a strangled moan, "I'm in charge tonight, usuratonkachi."

"Believe me, I know that bastard, but you need to start removing clothes, or I'm going to start tearing them off you." Naruto said threateningly as he stepped back and shucked his jeans and boxers, leaving him delightfully bare to Sasuke's dark, heated gaze. He shot the Uchiha a playful look before making his way to the already filled tub, bending over to test the water with his fingers. It was still hot.

Naruto let out a shaky breath as Sasuke's very naked, very aroused body pressed up against him from behind in just the right way, "Maybe we should get in?" He wondered as lips travelled down the back of his neck and along his spine before going lower.

"Mmmm." Sasuke pulled his cheeks apart and blew hot air against his hyper-sensitive entrance and he clenched involuntarily, "Not just yet."

Naruto barely had time to curse before Sasuke's tongue was pressing against him then into him. Long fingers moved slowly up his thighs before fondling his balls and going to grip his erection. Naruto didn't know whether to thrust into Sasuke's grip or push back into his tongue, but pretty soon all conscious thought flew out of his head and he was left a keening, whining, whimpering mess, completely at Sasuke's mercy. He fought to catch his breath as Sasuke's mouth finally left his backside before turning him and swallowing him whole from the front. His hands pulled at black hair as he sobbed, a little overwhelmed by the sensations and emotions coursing through him.

When the first finger entered him he welcomed the slight burn. Sasuke was careful to stretch him thoroughly before adding another finger, and each time he did, Naruto enjoyed the way they filled him, the way they moved to brush that spot inside him sending tingles of mind-numbing pleasure through his system. When the Uchiha had three fingers knuckle-deep inside him, he was trembling from the effort it took not to come deep inside his lover's throat. He pulled Sasuke's head off his cock, kissing him and moaning when he tasted himself in his Uchiha's mouth. "Get inside me." He breathed, blue eyes half-lidded, glazed with lust and love, "I want you inside me now. Please, Sasuke."

Sasuke hesitated, "I wanted…" his voice dragged off and Naruto noticed the way he glanced toward the bedroom and the blond shook his head.

"No. Here. Now. In the water. Just…please. I want you." He surged forward, tightening his arms around Sasuke's neck, kissing him deeply, "Want you so much."

Sasuke groaned helplessly before nodding and removing his fingers. Naruto winced at the sudden emptiness, but ignored it, slowly getting into the tub. He waited until Sasuke was in and seated before settling down over his lap, moaning as his lover's erection nudged against his entrance. "Are you sure you want to do it here?" Sasuke asked lowly, dark eyes trained on Naruto's flushed face.

"I'm sure; so very, very sure." Naruto breathed, closing his eyes and guiding Sasuke's length slowly inside him. The pain was bad for a moment, but it was overshadowed by the knowledge that Sasuke was inside him. Sasuke was his, he was Sasuke's, they were together here in this room, in this house where they would be spending the rest of their lives. It was perfect; the moment was everything he'd ever dreamed of and more. He opened his eyes to look down into Sasuke's face and saw his emotions reflected back to him in those dark eyes. He bent down to kiss his Uchiha slowly as he rotated his hips, his breath hitching as the movement had Sasuke brushing against his prostate.

There were no words spoken, just soft sighs and moans as their bodies moved together in a slow, almost lazy, rhythm. Heat built between them gradually, allowing them to enjoy the sensation of being linked in this new way while exchanging touches and kisses. They came together, trembling and panting, Naruto's muscles quivering as Sasuke held him close, hands moving lazily over every inch of tan skin that he could reach.

"The water is cold." Naruto murmured after a while, his face pillowed on Sasuke's shoulder as he lay boneless on top of his lover.

Sasuke chuckled, nuzzling the skin below his blond's ear, "You okay?"

"I am so much more than just okay." Naruto said with a dreamy sigh, cuddling closer to his boyfriend.

"We'll get sick if we sit in here for much longer." Sasuke said lightly, "Besides, I think we need a hot shower to wash up after this soak."

Naruto laughed softly, blue eyes blinking up at Sasuke sleepily, "This was fucking perfect. All of it. I loved it, Sasuke."

"Hn." Was all the Uchiha said, but his pink cheeks and pleased smile spoke volumes.

* * *

"You had a meltdown." Naruto said, awestruck. A massive grin was creeping along his face and Sasuke scowled at the sight of it.

"It was _not_ a meltdown. I was just a bit stressed." He corrected testily. They were both cocooned in their nest of blankets, their bodies tangled as they lay together and went over the last ten days with no hidden thoughts between them.

Naruto laughed, turning to face his lover and pressing a hard kiss to his lips, "You had a meltdown in front of Deidara." He said, blue eyes alight with mischief and warmth.

Sasuke huffed, then rolled his eyes, "Maybe a little." He admitted, "But Deidara talked me down from a cliff and came up with _this_."

"Was it his idea to do all of it in this house?" Naruto asked, nuzzling Sasuke's jaw.

"No." The Uchiha sounded almost reluctant to answer, "That was mine. When Deidara suggested the bath, I remembered this bathroom and well, it seemed like a good idea."

"It was the best." Naruto confirmed firmly.

Sasuke smiled, basking in the afterglow of sex and the hot shower that had followed. After a long moment he frowned, "Did you have to call Itachi?"

Naruto lifted his head to give Sasuke an even look, "I was worried about you, and so was he. Promise me you aren't going to work yourself up like that again. While this was all pretty spectacular," He said, gesturing around the room, "I don't need it on a regular basis. I just need you, just the way you are. No frills and no fuss."

"Frills?" Sasuke looked a bit disturbed, and Naruto laughed, "You know what I mean."

Sasuke hummed as he lowered his head to kiss his boyfriend, rolling over so Naruto was pinned underneath him. He reached for the tube of lube and coated himself before hitching Naruto's legs up over his shoulders and grinding against his still-stretched entrance. Naruto whimpered, arching up, and Sasuke slid into him, revelling in the way those walls tightened around him as Naruto let out a pleased sigh.

Sasuke slowly began thrusting, but unlike their first time, the slow pace didn't last. Soon the harsh sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room as Sasuke thrust repeatedly into Naruto, angling himself so he made his blond scream with how consistently the Uchiha was hitting that spot inside him. Sasuke's thrusts stuttered and his hand jerked his boyfriend off faster until Naruto came between them with a shout and his walls clamped down around Sasuke, milking his orgasm from him.

When Sasuke made to pull out, Naruto protested, keeping him close, and that led to yet another round of slow, lazy fucking. By the time day broke, both boys were exhausted; clean from a second shower, they collapsed on a sheet rather their now-soiled nest of blankets.

Sasuke glanced at his phone and groaned when he saw the time, "Deidara said his crew would be coming in at nine to start work for the day."

"What time is it?" Naruto asked sleepily, yawning.

"Five."

Naruto let out a whine of protest before burrowing further into his lover's warm body, "No."

Sasuke chuckled, "I can't actually turn back time, usuratonkachi."

"Try." The blond grumbled, disgruntled, "It's your fault I can't even feel my legs anymore."

"I'll send him a message asking him to let the workers take a day off today instead of tomorrow." Sasuke compromised, unlocking his phone and opening his chat with Deidara. He blinked at what he found there.

"What?" Naruto asked, frowning at the look on Sasuke's face.

"See for yourself." Sasuke handed his phone over to his boyfriend, expecting Naruto's happy cry.

"Oh my god, they look so adorable!" Naruto swiped through the four pictures Deidara had sent of him and Itachi with the kittens, "I miss them." He looked to Sasuke with a small frown.

The Uchiha sighed, "Do you want to just go to my place now? We'll get the brats, give them some breakfast and go to bed. That way we don't get in the way of the workers and we can sleep for as long as we want."

Naruto considered that, blue eyes sweeping around the room, "This place is a mess."

"No one is going to come up here. They're working on Kakashi's floor right now. We can come by in the evening and clean up."

"I really don't think I can get up though." Naruto admitted, looking pathetically up at his boyfriend.

Sighing, Sasuke stood and got dressed, getting his blond's clothes from the bathroom and tossing them at him. Without questioning, Naruto quickly pulled on his clothing, and when he was decent, Sasuke bent down and scooped him up in his arms making the tall, tan boy let out a squeak of surprise.

"You're carrying me." Naruto observed, a gleeful note to his voice as Sasuke made his way down to his car.

"You said you couldn't stand. Were you lying?" Sasuke asked dryly, glancing down at his blond.

"No." Naruto admitted, a small smile curving his lips. When he was carefully placed on the passenger seat of the car, he curled his hand around the back of his Uchiha's neck, pulling him forward to kiss him soundly, "Love you, bastard."

Sasuke just brushed another light kiss over warm lips before going around the car and getting into the driver's seat.

In the three and a half minutes it took him to drive to his house, Naruto fell asleep curled up in the passenger seat. Sasuke sighed as he got out of the car, unlocked and opened the front door before going around to the blond's door, holding it open with his shoulder as he carried his boyfriend out in his arms. Naruto's eyes blinked open sleepily, "Shit, bastard, you don't have to. I can walk up." He mumbled, his arms tightening around Sasuke's shoulders as if to help support his weight when he stood on his own two legs, but the Uchiha just shot him a glare, "It's fine. You're exhausted."

"So are you." Naruto protested in a weak voice, his eyes already sliding shut once more.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes, kicking the front door close behind them and making his way up the stairs to his room. He froze at his doorway and frowned, "What the hell?" He murmured, entering the room and gently laying Naruto down on his couch before making his way to his brother's sleeping form on his bed. Deidara was there as well, curled up next to Itachi, but thankfully both of them were fully clothed.

"Itachi?" He nudged his elder brother's shoulder, knowing that slight movement would be enough to wake Itachi. He'd always been a light sleeper.

"Sasuke?" Itachi blinked sleep from his eyes, frowning up at his brother's face, "What time is it?"

"Five thirty in the morning."

Itachi's brows furrowed in confusion, "What are you doing home so early?"

"What are you doing in my room?" Sasuke countered, stretching his arms upwards.

Itachi yawned, "You wanted those little monsters to sleep in your room, so we left the basket in here after feeding them and went to bed, but the brats wouldn't stop crying. Dei didn't want to leave them in here alone, so." Itachi shrugged, his eyes narrowing on the quiet basket at the corner of the room.

Sasuke sighed, "I knew they were going to be a pain." He said, shaking his head, "Naruto saw the pictures you guys sent us and wanted to come home. Plus it made sense to fall asleep here rather than there because the workers are supposed to come in at nine."

Itachi nodded, understandingly, his expression softening as his eyes fell on Naruto curled up on the couch, "Did he feel loved?"

"I think so." Sasuke murmured, blushing slightly, "He seemed to like it."

"He would have liked anything you came up with."

"He mentioned that." Sasuke said with a light chuckle, "I'm sorry I worried you, Aniki."

Itachi froze for a moment, and both pairs of dark eyes locked on each other. Itachi let out a breath; only Sasuke could have made out that it was just the slightest bit unsteady. Sasuke hadn't called his elder brother 'aniki' since the night their parents had been killed. He didn't know why he had now; it had just felt…right.

Itachi cleared his throat, "You must be tired." He said, his voice low and controlled, "I'll take Deidara and go." Just before he left the room, he turned back, a small, but happy smile on his face, "Don't worry about the brats' breakfast. I'll come in and feed them."

Sasuke swallowed, nodding jerkily, his own emotions swimming close to the surface. Once Itachi had Deidara bundled up in his arms, he left the room and Sasuke went to move his own blond to the now-vacant bed. A small mewl sounded as he pulled the comforter over Naruto and he glanced toward the basket, sighing when he saw a pair of red eyes blinking at him from across the room.

He made his way to the basket and scooped up both kittens, placing them in the litter box and waiting till they'd done their business before wiping them down with a wet wipe and placing them back in the basket. He then carried the basket to the bed, setting it on one side before climbing in behind Naruto and enveloping the blond in his arms. He sighed contentedly, drifting off to sleep with Naruto's sea and sun scent permeating the air around him. The kittens studied their new humans contemplatively before settling down against one another and going back to sleep.

* * *

 **Gah. It's been a looong journey, but 'Sun and Moon' is complete! I have only a short epilogue left - and I'm posting that now as well. I might add bonus chapters to the story later, but for the time being, my version of Sasuke and Naruto's story is over.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it. Thank you for your wonderful reviews and encouraging words :) Each one kept me inspired so that I could finish the story. If you liked my style of writing, be sure to check out the other stories on my Fanfiction profile!**

 **Until the next adventure.**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


	22. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.

* * *

 _A Bit More With Each Day_

"Sasuke? Have you seen Kyuubi?" Naruto's voice called from the other side of their wing in the new house. All of his boxes had been moved into the spare bedroom farthest from the master bedroom of their wing; Kushina's way of enforcing the 'no sharing a room until after school' rule.

Sasuke looked heavenward before glancing at the small black kitten curled up on top of one of his boxes; a single red eye opened as if to acknowledge his human's aggravation, before slipping shut once more. "Usuratonkachi, don't tell me you've lost that orange menace again. This is the third time today!"

Naruto's head appeared at his door, and he pouted, "It's not my fault. He's so small, he just wanders away and then it's hard to find him."

"You don't see Sharingan misbehaving like that." Sasuke grumbled, dropping the t-shirt he was holding so he could follow Naruto back to his room, petting his black kitten on the way out, extracting a pleased purr. "You need to start disciplining him. Plying him with treats every time he takes a swipe at you with his claws or burrows under the laundry only encourages him."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Just shut up and help me look."

Sasuke stopped walking and his black eyes narrowed on his usuratonkachi's back. The blond's lips curved in an unseen smile as he said without missing a step, "What I meant to say was, you're the greatest boyfriend in the world, and I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

"Hn."

It took them half an hour to locate Kyuubi; they finally found him in the box with Naruto's old toys, chewing on a plastic throwing knife. As Naruto cooed over the kitten, proclaiming his love for it, Sasuke looked around the room. "You haven't been unpacking at all, have you?"

"What?" The guilty, slightly sheepish tone of his boyfriend's voice made Sasuke sigh.

"You've been in here all morning. What the hell have you been doing if not unpacking?" He asked, knowing even as he did that he probably would not like the answer.

Naruto chuckled nervously, "Well, I've been on the phone with Ino and Sakura, trying to get everything ready for the Christmas party we're throwing here."

The Uchiha pinched the bridge of his nose, "That's ten days away, Naruto."

"Exactly! Ten days! That's like no time at all, bastard!" Naruto cried his voice carrying a mix of excitement and anxiousness, "We need to be fully unpacked and have basic furnishing in the ground floor. We need to figure out how we're going to feed everyone. I want it to be perfect, but I've never planned a party like this before! So I called people who had."

Sasuke studied his blond's flushed face and smiled slightly, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Naruto's shoulders, leaning in to brush a kiss against pink lips, "Why is this so important to you?" He asked softly, dark eyes trained on blue.

Naruto considered the question for a moment before saying with a shrug, "It's my first Christmas with my forever family."

Sasuke's brows furrowed, "Forever family?"

"You know, the family I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. This is it; you guys are it. I just want to…celebrate that. Or something." Naruto blushed, clearly rethinking his logic after voicing his thoughts.

Sasuke looked down at the boy he'd fallen irrevocably in love with and felt that love grow just a bit more. This was how it was going to be with Naruto, he acknowledged to himself; with every day that went by he would love the blond more, and Naruto would become all the more precious. He leaned in to kiss his blond idiot, his lips sliding over slightly chapped ones before his tongue pressed forward for entrance that it was quickly given. Sasuke deepened the kiss, his hands raking roughly through spiky yet soft blond hair as he tugged his lover closer to him. For his part, Naruto completely surrendered into his boyfriend's arms, sensing the words Sasuke still found so hard to say. When lips left his own and began travelling down the column of his neck he let out a pleased hum, his lips tugging up in a smile, "I thought we were supposed to be unpacking."

"Shut up, usuratonkachi." Was all the response he got as pale hands quickly did away with his shirt. Naruto obeyed the spoken order happily, ridding his dark-haired lover of his clothes as they stumbled their way across the room to where the double mattress Naruto would be using had been laid down, careful not to step on any paws or tails on their way. Sasuke grunted as his back hit the mattress and Naruto fell on top of him, the wind knocked from his lungs. Naruto chuckled, leaning forward to nuzzle his Uchiha's jaw, "You okay?"

"Hn."

Sasuke flipped them over so he was looming over Naruto and gazed down at the blond with a soft, incredibly open expression on his face. Naruto smiled, reaching up to caress one side of his lover's face, "What?" He whispered, curiosity tinging his question.

Sasuke shook his head slightly, trying to reign in the emotions coursing through him with little success, "I think you have a good point." He said finally, his voice unusually husky, "This Christmas will be an event worth celebrating properly."

Naruto's smile was brilliant and bright and encompassed Sasuke's whole world in light. A sudden, unspoken desperation had them surging toward one another and in minutes Sasuke was buried deep inside his lover, pressing languid kisses up his neck and on his face in a tender gesture that was quite unlike him. Naruto revelled in the showered attention, repaying the favour by linking his legs around his Uchiha's waist and drawing his lover as close as humanly possible, kissing what part of Sasuke's face, neck and shoulder he had access to. When Sasuke finally began moving, both of them let out low groans, before quickly losing themselves in the now-familiar pleasure of being one. They came together, kissing each other to muffle their cries as they did. Sasuke made no move to leave Naruto's body, and the blond's grip tightened around him as he pressed his face into the crook of his Uchiha's neck, inhaling the scent of sex and Sasuke.

"That's two rooms down now." Naruto mused, smiling into pale skin.

Sasuke shifted back just far enough so he could meet his boyfriend's mischievous blue gaze, a dry look on his face, "We are not christening every room of the house."

"What?!" Naruto nearly pouted, "Why not?"

"Because my _brother_ and my _guardian_ live in some of the rooms." The Uchiha's expression was one of distaste, "I don't want to fuck you, or be fucked, when surrounded by their stuff; that's disgusting."

Naruto considered that for a moment before nodding, "I see your point. Common areas are fair game though, right?"

Sasuke smirked, "Usuratonkachi, you're beginning to sound like a sex-crazed teenager."

"I _am_ a sex-crazed teenager, bastard; one with a very sexy boyfriend." Naruto shifted his hips up as he spoke, making black eyes dilate and widen at the movement, "And we have access to an entire house with no parents."

Sasuke pinned his blond's hips down with one arm, "Don't start something we can't finish, usuratonkachi. We aren't exactly alone in the house right now."

This time Naruto really did pout before reluctantly loosening his grip on his Uchiha so he could finally slide out of him, grimacing at the empty feeling the movement caused. Before he could dwell on it though, Sasuke wrapped his arms around him and brushed a kiss to his forehead, "You promised me a happily ever after, Naruto. I won't accept anything less now." The Uchiha's voice was low, and his dark eyes serious as he gazed down at his boyfriend. Something about this moment felt…different; definitive, somehow. Sasuke was finally ready to put his faith in the future Naruto had once painted for them.

Naruto chuckled, nuzzling Sasuke's chest as he burrowed closer, "I wouldn't expect you to, bastard. I told you before, remember? I never go back on my word."

* * *

 **That line is like the very definition of Naruto's character - I had to end with that and Sasuke finally putting his faith in Naruto's promise.**

 **~Living to Laugh and Love**


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